Interview:

After having revived Rapid, a football club in Maastricht and having produced modern teaching material for use in a Montessori school , he was approached to acquaint himself with the education of visually handicapped children. In 1967 he went to Africa and repatriated in 1989.

We are talking to brother Rudolfo, Kees van Oudheusden, about his work in Malawi and his engagement in the education of the blind on the African continent.

BACK HOME

Having reached the age of seventy I returned to the Netherlands. I felt quite happy about that decision because it was my own free choice and not because I had to give up a marvelous and interesting job in Africa due to physical discomfort. I just did not want to be under anybody's feet in Malawi and at that time there was sufficient well trained local manpower available to take over responsibilities. I felt that time had come that Africans could stand on their own feet.

It was quite clear to me that I would go to the Beyart. I knew that house from the days that I had the privilege to recuperate after a couple of hip operations.

I thought to myself : I am going to take up residence at the Beyart as this will save me another move in the course of the years. Initially it was a leap into the dark but soon I felt at home in the Xaverius community.

During that period I experienced that nobody wanted to employ me. Then you suddenly realize: I am really seventy. I had no acquaintances in Maastricht and surroundings nor did I have any prospects to develop new activities. I was very pleased that Wim van Winden invited me te become a member of the board of the Foundation Wereldwijd in Eckelrade.

In 1990 we celebrated the 150 anniversary of the FIC and the festive gift was intended for Wereldwijd. It gave a supportive step for the interesting an necessary work of reception, care and guidance of asylumseekers and refugees in southern Limburg.

The Foundation Wereldwijd strove for the setting up of a model project for all newly to establish refugee and asylumseekers centres. Similar centres were in fact set up in Den Bosch, Rotterdam, Venlo and The Hague.

When I left Wereldwijd after some ten years, in 2000, I felt more pain and homesickness then when leaving Africa.

I think this is saying something about my ties with the work for refugees and asylumseekers.

WORK FOR THE VISUALLY HANDICAPPED.

Kees van Oudheusden was born in l920 in Oisterwijk and professed in our Congregation in 1939. After having worked in primary education in Bussum, Haarlem en Maastricht, followed by teaching in secondary school in Weert, he left for Birmingham University in 1966 to follow a post-academic course specializing in the education of visually handicapped. He attended a Worldcongress for educators of the blind in Boston USA where he met experts in blind education from all over the world and got the opportunity to start building up worldwide relationships and contacts.

In l967 he left with the late brother Maurus Collignon for Malawi where he was made responsible for the training of teachers of the blind. We really had to start from scratch.

Maurus proved to be a devoted and skilled compagnion who took responsibility for the transcription of texts and books into braille. At the same time he was responsible for all financial matters. The only accomodation we got were two empty classrooms. Fortunaly the FIC came to our rescue. The brothers provided students accomodation, including kitchen and dining facilities in Montfort Teacher Training College. Our mission, the training of Malawian teachers in the education of visually handicapped children, could start.

We travelled all over Malawi and soon got involved in Zambia, Lesotho, Botswana, Swaziland and Zambia. The ministry of education organized a conference for education officers from these countries so that a start could be made for this type of special education in the region. As we had to start from nowhere we had to find funds for equipment. From money collected we bought braille machines and braille paper. There were no books, no furniture, no teaching aids. What we did have was a great number of visually impaired children who had to be kept busy. Soon we ran into the question what to do with blind children after they finished primary school. There were no facilities for further education nor for any sort of technical training preparing them for an independent living.

Kees felt like a fish in the water. Set up new programmes, establish new contacts, it all fitted him like a glove. Results flew out of our hands. Things developed so fast that we sometimes hardly could control. It was an exiting time and miracles happened. Blind youngsters were taught how to cultivate the land, a weaving factory was built and a huge tobacco estate was set up. Most of the activities I did not know myself but I used the expertise available and work for the blind grew.

AFRICA

Much attention ought to be given to the handicapped in Africa, says Kees van Oudheusden. People are very busy in order to keep their head above water in their often big families. Most people are poor and they can hardly make both ends meet.

Children that are blind, deaf or otherwise handicapped are often hidden by their parents. People are ashamed that they cannot physically or mentally function up to the mark. You see the same phenomenon with those who suffer from aids, this illness is merely denied. They pretend to suffer from pneumonia, they feel ashamed and pretend to be bigger than they are.

Therefore it is of great importance on this continent to stand up for the sick and the handicapped. We are proud that our congregation, up to this very day, has paid attention to these children and adults. Because of his accumulated experience and expertise Kees was appointed staffmember of the Royal Commonwealth Socierty for the Blind, now Sight Savers. This organization is active in africanization of work for the visually handicapped. Initially education and care for the blind was mainly carried out by expatriates. Now Sight Savers aims at africanization of services throughout this field.

In 1979 I stayed in Holland for eleven months for a hip operation that caused more complications than expected. After my return to Malawi I saw to my great joy and satisfaction that business had gone on as before. I then proposed to the ministry of education to appoint an african Director Education of the Blind. Up to 1984 I was involved in the programme in my capacity of Sight Savers' regional representative for Southern Africa..

Then I left for Nairobi to set up the Africa Office for Sight Savers covering all Commonwealth countries on this continent.

CHAIRMAN

Kees van Oudheusden was appointed chairman of the Malawi Council for the Handicapped, a chairmanship that allowed him to have friends at court. He was there in a unique position to draw government attention to the interests and the needs of handicapped children and adults.

When the Life President Dr H. Kamuzu Banda (picture, left) with great fanfare toured the country to promote and spread his political ideas I was supposed to join the cortege of VIPs. This also meant that there were plenty of opportunities to draw attention to the care of the handicapped.

We received ample support of our Congregation. I remember that one of the charity aims of the 1969 Servatius pelgrimage in Maastricht was the care for the handicapped in Malawi.

REST AND RETIREMENT

From his big room in de Beyart , a home for aging religious, Kees looks out upon the ruins of a fifteenth century convent. You are talking to a happy fellow brother he says. Here I have something really to my liking, notwithstanding the continuous trouble and inconveniences caused by my hips and lungs.

I feel very much involved in political developments worldwide. There are plenty of opportunities to read. A number of newspapers appear on my desk, national and international, and I take advantage of that. News from the media keeps me awake and up-to-date.

Some years ago the community asked me to accept final responsibility for community affairs.

Sometimes it weighs too heavy especially when fellow brothers are not doing very well physically or mentally. Then I try to assist them as much as I can and do my best to keep the group of twelve brothers together.

As far as the Beyart is concerned I am also active as secretary of the Cliënt's Council. I feel that this is a useful institute in our house. The Beyart is running its home affairs more and more professionally and this requires modern means of communication and participation.

I am also very much take by our Internetcafé which is in operation since November. More than thirty people are participating and learning to get acquainted with this new medium. Together with the coördinator Leon Huybregts we got this project off the ground and we are very pleased that it runs so well. Personnally I am also very happy with my computor and I enjoy surfing on the internet.

After an active life in Africa, in which Malawi played a major role Kees van Oudheusden turns every into a "new day" . From his wide experience, collected in life and work he still seems able to live to the full, to enjoy what comes along and to assist in the smooth running of the Beyart community as a whole and the Xaverius group in particular. I would not mind to sign in at the age of eighty.

Wim Swüste

Source: BERICHTEN VAN DE BROEDERS VAN MAASTRICHT, 2002, nummer 1

Translation: Bro. Rudolf van Oudheusden.