He's the breadwinner even though he's blind
Senior writer for the Scotland on Sunday Jeremy Watson found out how blind people are learning skills for life in Zanzibar.
His hands work with astonishing speed and dexterity and within a few moments a rug is starting to form. Said Mrisho, sitting cross-legged in the courtyard outside his Zanzibar home, is in his element.
He uses a metal ruler to measure lengths of the hard-wearing coconut fibre and wields scissors to cut the strands to size. Then they are all woven together to produce the carpets he sells to earn a living for himself, his wife and his three children.
Rug-making is a craft that is difficult enough for the fully-sighted but Said is totally blind.
Now 30, he lost partial vision in both eyes at the age of 10 after a playground accident. As his eyesight gradually worsened over the years he was facing a life of destitution.
A burden to their families
Until recently in countries such as Tanzania - Zanzibar, the ancient Spice Island, lies off the coast of its mainland - people who became irreversibly blind fell to the lowest levels of society. They were perceived as becoming a burden to their families, unable to make a contribution to the daily struggle for survival when millions are living on an income of around 50p per day. At best, they were hidden away in back rooms to prevent shame falling on their family.
That would have been Said's fate until he was discovered in his village on the edge of Zanzibar's capital, Stone Town, by Zanab, the Zanzibar Association for the Blind.
He agreed to learn rug-making skills and astonished his tutors by picking up the skills in weeks rather than months. For the first time he could earn a living - his sought-after rugs sell for up to £20 - and he was able to marry and now has three young children.
Now I have the means to look after my family
Now Said and his family live an independent life and he is a well-known and popular figure in Haway, his home village, which he negotiates with a white cane at a furious pace.
"I'm really grateful for the training I was given because it meant I could live much more of a normal life," he said. "Now I have the means to look after my family."
Said is a success story for Zanab, which is engaged in a constant battle for funds to help blind people lead more normal lives. They rely on donations from charities such as Sightsavers International, the charity at the heart of Scotland on Sunday's Christmas Appeal, to continue their work.
Training people to earn a living
The donations help pay for training courses - Said is now so proficient he has become a trainer himself - and for technology that assists people who have lost their sight to use computers, giving them the same opportunity to develop their skills and employment prospects as those with sight.
Hassan Vuai, Zanab's co-ordinator, said financial support was crucial. "We train people in handicrafts so that they can earn a living."
And Said certainly proves that with appropriate training and support, people with disabilities can lead successful, fulfilling lives.
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