With humility, love and a sense of community we strive to build awareness for the less fortunate, to create a foundation to help those to help themselves and make a positive difference in the lives of all South Africans.
At Barker Insurance Brokers we have always felt the need to make a difference and through our BEE and CSI initiatives we have already contributed to many organizations and individuals, with education being one of our top priorities.
Projects we are currently busy with include
Education Africa;
Oliver’s House;
Hospice; Girls and Boys Town;
See Thru Glass (part of BIB’s BBBEE initiative);
Educating our staff’s children (part of BIB’s BBBEE initiative)
Sylvester’s road back to seeing again;
Bursary to Aaron in Pretoria @ Northridge School;
Santa Shoebox;
Bateleur flying for wildlife
Blood donations
Last year as a team we felt the need to make more of a difference and with wonderful energy and enthusiasm we at BIB have created an exciting initiative we call BIB UNITE where we can focus all our good work.
Not only are our staff pulling together through this initiative but we want you as our valued clients to feel as much a part of this initiative as we do. You too can feel free to contribute if you would like and join us in making a difference.
“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.”
― Mother Theresa
Our latest Project: Sylvester’s road to seeing again
Sylvester Nyandeni (husband to BIB’s Kitchen Manager Enneth Nyandeni) was a loyal employee who took pride in his job as a driver.
However, he was fighting a battle with Diabetes which ultimately forged his eyesight forcing him to stop working. Unfortunately, cataracts had formed over his eyes had taken all of his sight from him.
His struggles continued as he got turned away from various public hospitals. He was put in touch with a doctor from Helen Joseph who attempted to operate but each time faced the challenge of Sylvester’s high blood sugar levels which posed a huge threat of infection.
For nearly a year, Sylvester’s eyes deteriorated until he had been deprived of all his sight. Finally Rhett had been informed of a doctor who would be able to correctly assess Sylvester’s case and treat the source of the problem – The Diabetes.
Getting channelled to the correct eye specialists and doctors that worked to properly diagnose his condition and treatment, Sylvester learnt that his Diabetes needed to be treated with insulin and not tablets as previously prescribed.
Upon the doctors guidance, he underwent an exercise/eating programme at Baragwanath Hospital to better equip him on his road to recovery.
Finally progress was underway as his blood sugar levels stabilized. After the third attempt doctors were able to operate and removed the cataract from his one eye.
He is thrilled and has been so grateful to be able to see the world around him! The next step will be to operate on the second eye so he regains full sight. It really has touched us all at BIB and is a reminder to appreciate the gift of sight and of course all our day to day abilities we so often take for granted.
2 months later…
Sylvester has now had his second operation on his other eye and is seeing the world with two eyes again. Due to his eye condition, he was unable to work for a year. Now, not only is he seeing again, but Sylvester is now working again at his previous company, where he works as a driver. He is on top of the world!
A special thanks to the doctors involved: Dr. Tessa Nicolaou, Dr Ed Jervis and Dr Stef Boscia