A FATHER of five whose visual impairment has developed into full-blown blindness as a result of glaucoma, is preparing to spend Father’s Day quietly ‘as usual’, but says it would be his greatest dream come true, were his five children to visit him today so they could have lunch together.

Lennox Braithwaite, 67, who went completely blind in 2010, and who has been divorced from his wife for about 21years, is in contact with his children and receives occasional visits from them. However, he is of the view that, being alone, there is need for that warmth and camaraderie that’s best extended by family on such a memorable day.

Reminiscing on the good times they spent together as a family through the years, “Braf”, as he is called, spoke of the true love and attention he and his wife gave to the children to ensure they were brought up in a good family environment and that their needs – both spiritual and material – were provided, including having a good education. And of course, their strategies worked, yielding the best results.

One of the first things they did was put systems in place to become self-employed in order to ensure they spent quality time with the children, and were able to monitor them while contributing as much as possible to their education.

“In fact, I always preferred to be self-employed than to work with people, and in time my wife saw the value in that and she too, eventually became self-employed,” he said.

His wife, who spent most of her initial working years as a public servant, held good jobs, but because they were getting children pretty fast, they saw the need to adjust so that when she would be in maternity confinement he would be working to help take care of the younger ones.

And of course, their approach to parenting worked out.Their children all attended educational institutions of higher learning and secured good jobs. One is now a Cuban-trained doctor who received a Government Scholarship to pursue his medical training; another is a teacher at a government school in Buxton – the community from which he (Lennox) hails; one is attending the University of Guyana pursuing Environmental Studies, another teaches at a school in New Amsterdam, while the fifth is still pursuing studies.

‘Braf’, who has now established a small manufacturing business in order to sustain himself, has been in the business of producing local flours: Barley flour, Instant flour and Plantain flour, for which he has a ready market – the main outlet being the Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC) on Alexander Street. He also makes, packages and sells tamarind balls.

Incredibly, ‘Braf’ has also concocted a remedy for arthritis, called ‘Arthritis Relief’, which brings customers running back for more. Proud of the product he has created, he modestly asserts: “People who are between 79 and 82 [years] use it and get relief from knee and other joint pains within minutes.”

He has said that the Guyana Marketing Corporation is a source of strong support to small manufacturers who are into the manufacturing business. In fact, they have been providing market for their products, as well as creating advertising opportunities for them through symposia and other such marketing tactics.

For the year so far, there have been about three such exercises, with exhibitions of small manufacturers products and free distribution of both hot and cold beverages made from the flours, as well as other products they produce, to senior citizens converging at local post offices and having to wait to receive their Old Age Pension.

“Such developments we find encouraging, but there could be tough times, for example, the day when I was fleeced of 200 pounds of plantains at the Stabroek Market wharf,” he said. He related that he had just made the purchase, when a man with a handcart came up to him and offered to wheel his purchase out to the front of the market where he would get a car to take it away. But sadly, he never heard from the man again and could not make a report, because, being blind, he had no knowledge of what the man looked like, nor the direction in which he went.

But that did not break his spirit nor force him into seclusion and making a decision to give up his trade. With a spirit of determination, he has vowed to move on and in fact is looking to expand his business. Whereas, at this time he is doing every aspect of the business – from peeling, washing, grinding and packaging the plantains and other vegetables utilised, he now has plans to go bigger and offer employment for other visually impaired or otherwise physically challenged people.

‘Braf’ would like to extend greetings to all fathers, for a blessed and wonderful Father’s Day, while assuring his children of his continued love and care for them.