Tesfay Sebhat

Tesfay Sebhat was born in Eritrea in 1955 and came to London in 1980.  He is the Town Centre Youth and Play Services Manager for Lambeth Council.  He talks about how he feels that, through his success, he can be a role model: as a black man, a blind man and a refugee.

Listen to Tesfay (mp3, 661kb)

Transcript

'I think the hardest to the transition in my life from guerrilla fighter, Liberation Army, and to come here, to live in Europe was the hardest than to become a blind person. The weather, the culture, the language, you name it, a multiple of barriers to go through. On top of that blindness came. 

'So for me, theoretically there is a transition from an abled person to a disabled person. For me I escaped that transition. The date I was registered as a blind person, I think the top thing was I accepted it. I accepted that I am blind and I have to live with it… 

'Well I think life, if you take it the way it is and you improve on it, you accept it and you improve it and develop it and go further, to see beyond what you are now. What is next? Yesterday has gone. It is not coming, yesterday. Today, I have to do it today, what is today, has to be done, but yesterday is gone already.  Sighted Tesfay is gone.  Now is a blind Tesfay. 

'I have to live with that.  On that basis I have to see what can I achieve. To be independent, that was the whole idea, and I think, I believe I have achieved it…  I think my being in this position breaks all stereotypes about refugees and black people or disabled people in general.'

Copyright Evelyn Oldfield Unit