As told by Kate Kwati (a visionary art teacher)
Have you ever thought about what art truly means? Is it just about creating something beautiful to look at, or is there something deeper? For me, art has always been more than just aesthetic—it’s about connection, communication, and breaking down barriers.
Hey everyone, it’s Kate Kwati here! I wanted to share a little bit about my journey with art and how it’s shaped me into who I am today.
Art has been with me since I was a kid, sparking joy in primary school and staying with me through my teenage years. However, when I enrolled into tertiary education, I thought I’d go into dental therapy, but life had other plans. I ended up at Molepolole College of Education, and that’s where my love for art really took off again.
Back then, not many Batswana were into art—most students were from other countries. But instead of feeling out of place, I saw an opportunity to do something different, to make a mark. It wasn’t until I was placed at a school for students with disabilities that things really clicked for me. I realized art could be so much more than just pretty pictures—it could be a way to connect, to include, and to give everyone a voice.
Later, I got to study at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. I threw myself into community work, visiting schools for students with disabilities and even working with prisoners. These experiences shaped my belief that art is for everyone.
When I got back home, I started teaching at Molefi Secondary School, which has a special education office, primarily for blind and visually impaired students. I had a vision of teaching these very students art, but it wasn’t easy at first—there were a lot of doubts and questions about whether blind students could really “do” art. But I knew they could.
The school syllabus didn’t include students with disabilities in art classes, so I had to get creative. I came up with the “Memory Book” project, where students shared their life stories and turned them into art. It wasn’t about making something that looked “pretty,” but about creating something that meant something. Over time, this project got recognized by the Botswana Examination Council, and we’ve been running with it for over ten years now.
For me, art is more than just a nice drawing or a colorful painting. It’s a way to communicate, especially for blind students who rely on touch. I’m not looking for them to create “beautiful” art—I want them to create art that speaks, that heals, that has a story to tell. Blind people are already amazing musicians, poets, and actors, so why not artists too?
Can you imagine a room full of blind artists sharing their stories through art? How powerful would that be? Well, tell you what? I’ve written a bunch of proposals, hoping one day to have a space where blind artists can show off their talents to the world!
When I teach blind students, we use all kinds of tactile tools like the Zyfuse Heater machine, Zytex2 Swell Paper, soil, stones, sticks, wool, really anything we can find and use to achieve our goal. It’s all about giving them a way to “see” through touch, helping them bring their experiences to life in their art.
To all the educators out there: don’t be afraid to get creative. Art isn’t just about high grades—it’s about expression. You don’t need special training to teach art to blind students; you just need imagination and the willingness to see their potential. There’s so much untapped talent out there, and it’s up to us to help bring it to light!
I’ll leave you with a success story—Thabo, one of my students, really threw himself into the Memory Book project. It boosted his confidence, and now, he’s doing amazing things with Blind Smart. What he’s doing now is exactly what he said he wanted to achieve back in those Memory Book days. It’s incredible to see how far he’s come!
So, let’s remember that blind people have stories to tell, and they’re sharing them through art, music, poetry, and more. Are we ready to listen? Are we ready to see beyond what we think they can’t do and focus on what they can do? Let’s make a change, and shout out to Blind Smart for bringing us all together in this journey. You guys are awesome!
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