An exceptional young farmer in St. Lucia who happens to be blind

Tixey is completely blind

For all the able-bodied persons who sit by and complain about the lack of job opportunities, one farmer from Desruisseaux in St. Lucia is defying all odds to eke out an existence for himself and his family.

Meet Antonius Tixey, a dedicated father, husband, and avid farmer.

Antonius, a resident of the farming community in Blanchard, Desruisseaux, zealously attends to his farm daily and is the sole breadwinner in his family.

What you did not know is that Antonius is completely blind.

“Well my profession is farming you can see that’s what I like to do. That’s what I used to do before, long time before I got blind. I am proud of taking farming into perspective right now,” he said.

Antonius had perfect vision for the first 30 years of his life; however 12 years ago he lost his vision rather quickly due to a condition called optic neuritis which occurs when the optic nerve becomes inflamed and can flare up suddenly from an infection or nerve disease.

“Well, in the beginning, it was horrible. I never believed somebody can live with blindness but with family and friends around you, your wife, your children, they give you the courage. I readjusted my life and make myself adjust to blindness now and admit it happened already and life has to go on.”

Antonius relies on his cutlass and his acute sense of touch to navigate his farm.

“You make yourself adjust to it. Like you know it’s slippery, you know when it rains it’s going to slide, so you have to adjust yourself for it. So you take your time you know. As you can see I clean like anybody else, I plant it myself, I clean it myself. I take care of it until it’s ready to harvest. I harvest myself as well.”

What Antonius said next about made me question whether he truly could not see?

“Especially when you can see my dasheen growing so nice you know and I touch it and I see like the tree look massive, the yam popping up you know. The plantain shooting up, especially when I harvest for the weekend you know. Almost every weekend I give my cousin, Sista, she’s a mother to everyone, she sells for me at the market. So especially when you harvest and you give her to sell something for you, she brings your money for you like you have a salary coming in every week you know. It’s worth a lot.”

He also credits his success to the support he received from the St. Lucia Blind Welfare Association.

“Well Blind Welfare is very, very, very excellent. They have done an excellent job in my life, giving me the courage. Actually every time I used to need something for my garden they always assist me. As long I call they will assist me in my fertilizers, they will assist me in my seedlings, even my chemicals because I remember I used to plant corn before. Blind Welfare always there for me; that why I say we cannot afford to lose Blind Welfare. It’s an institution that’s always taking care of me all the time.”

He had encouraging words for other blind and visually impaired persons.

“God is love and in him, there is no darkness at all. So you have spiritual eyes watching you so you should not be afraid to do things. You’re not supposed to stay in the house and sit down and think you will get lost. You have to go and pray to the Most High and he will give you the strength and you will move on and you will continue doing your journey as long as you’re determined to do it, he will give you’re the strength to do it.”

The St. Lucia Blind Welfare Association also celebrates the achievement of Antonius Tixey, the blind farmer from Blanchard, Desruisseaux.

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15 Comments

  1. Truth
    June 3, 2018

    People will read, instead of learning and be challenged to work, they’ll be criticising. It doesn’t matter if he’s ‘not so blind’ or blind, he’s thinking out of the box and working against all odds. Major on the major, minor on the minor. As an individual, you too BE AN INSPIRATION!

  2. Smh
    June 2, 2018

    Ya’ll really arguing about how blind a man is?

  3. Positive
    June 2, 2018

    Some people are so negative and BLIND…why is she criticising, hasn’t she noticed the hope and power in that article, who cares if he is partially sighted, he has a family and he is making sure that they are taken care of…he is an ambassador. Some people just do not have the agility to see positivity, why does everything have to be negative…such a lovely story of hope….if i had money i would fly that man abroad for specialists eye treatment.

  4. Current
    June 1, 2018

    Great story…blind or not so blind

  5. Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
    May 31, 2018

    How can he be completely blind; and looks directly into a camera?

    He might be legally blind according to the legal definition of blindness: but I would have to be a fool to look at that guy and agree he is completely blind!

    He may have vision issues, particularly in his left eye, but that guy has vision, he can see!

    • anonymous2
      May 31, 2018

      Don’t judge someone until you have walked in their shoes. He may be able to see some shadows, however, that is far from having normal or even having good vision in one eye. You can’t always tell that someone is blind just by looking at them from a distance.

      • Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
        June 1, 2018

        So, you believe that man is completely blind? If you believe that, you will believe anything!

        Believe it or not, I did some farming when I was just a little lad growing up in Wesley.

        I used the Cutlass (Machete) Fork and Hoe in what we term our garden. I used the cutlass to weed the growing grass and weeds between the growing plants, and I can tell you even with both eyes I injured my feet many times; getting cut with my own cutlass.

        So, I am not a novice to this thing; and even if I reside (living in Los Angeles) every spring I plant a vegetable garden, from which I reap Cucumbers,  Squash, Beets Cabbage, Green Beans, and String Beans, and other vegetables. (all of that I have this minuet).

        Tell you what a few summers ago I went out in the garden to pull some weeds, this Dominica farmer could not see a thing. I eventually had surgery on both eyes, without implants I would be blind! 

    • Iamanidiot
      May 31, 2018

      Uhum a few things
      1) That pic could be before he as blind
      2) He was talking to the camera man and was looking in his direction
      3) The camera man moved to where he was looking to give the illusion he was looking at the camera

    • DeEyesHaveIt
      June 1, 2018

      You are such an *** and insensitive idiot. There are many reasons the guy could be looking into the camera. That’s a picture taken they would or could have told him to look that way before taking the picture. Why is it your need to always put people down on dno. For someone who claims education and is narcissistic enough to always quote your CV to people you lack social skills. Grow Up!!!!!

    • Yow
      June 2, 2018

      Did you know when one sense of yours is gone your other senses get better? He relies on his other senses..go on YouTube and watch the documentary of the boy who can see with no eyes

  6. May 31, 2018

    I cannot pass on this one, because this is what I have been saying all along.

    I keep on reading from so many people who are lamenting over the fact that the Government is not finding jobs for them, but is this the responsibility of the Government? No, it is not! If the Government has to be the sole Employer of the Nation, where would revenue come from, since they would also be the One paying the Salaries, among other things?

    People of Dominica, in Life we need a vision, we need a goal which will move us as we go on our journey towards comfort and satisfaction –you have to make the move; the Government CANNOT make it for you.

    Take this note from the blind man in the article above; he said: “God is love and in Him, there is no darkness at all. So you have “spiritual eyes” watching you so you should not be afraid to do things.”

    Antonius Tixey is saying that it is God’s eyes leading him–not the Government of St. Lucia

    • Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
      June 2, 2018

      Foolish woman shut your mouth; and stop defending Roosevelt Skerrit: Roosevelt Skerrit is the government; prior to Government Roosevelt Skerrit. We saw a few companies foreign trickled into the country. O. D Brisbane came from St. Vincent.

      I think Glenden Paint came from Barbados; nevertheless I see Gledden Paints here! Colgate Palmolive is international, Dragon Windows, Ross Medical School even the ride (the tram ride in the forest left, we had the Shine Company, and many others left all because of Roosevelt Skerrit ridiculous political policies!

      He destroyed the agricultural industry, hence all the farmers are put out of business. He chased the few people who employed a few people in Dominica out of the country, he destroyed a vibrant economy, and then began selling Dominica passports. How can a government based the economy on the sale of Diplomatic passports, and expect people to find work to do?

      You need to shut up! You are evil like Roosevelt, nevertheless you are quick…

  7. Faceup
    May 31, 2018

    I must congratulate him but centerpide must be plicheing him.. Hope not ?

  8. ?????????
    May 31, 2018

    Our Young people should indeed read this inspiring Story. Yes indeed he has spiritual eyes which is far better than physical eyes. Salute the blind farmer from St Lucia – Antonius Tixey and kudos to his physical helpers (encouragers) – The St Lucia Blind Welfare Association.

  9. LABOUR!
    May 31, 2018

    Wow

    Very inspirational story. May God continue to guide and bless you my dear. Spiritual eyesight is indeed far better than the physical ones.

    Blessings!

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