Stephen Mizzi My Story

Beyond Light

 

The Dogs, the Braille and the Horse

 

Sometimes an idea begins in the most unexpected place.

 

For Stephen Mizzi and his blind colleagues in Malta, it began while caring for rescued dogs. Their observations raised questions about animal wellbeing and whether natural approaches could be explored while also creating opportunities for blind people to develop new skills and enterprise.

 

Those questions helped inspire the developing Braille Wellbeing Products concept.

 

Working alongside colleagues and specialists, Stephen became involved in an initiative bringing together animal welfare, accessibility and entrepreneurship. The vision is not simply about creating products for animals. It is about enabling blind people to participate in developing ideas, researching possibilities, working with specialists and helping build enterprises around animal wellbeing.

 

From employment to entrepreneurship

 

Stephen's journey makes the story particularly powerful.

 

After losing his sight, he spent 27 years outside employment before being given an opportunity through Workplace Beyond Light.

 

That opportunity became much more than a return to work.

 

Stephen progressed towards entrepreneurship and became involved in developing ideas that could potentially create opportunities for other blind and visually impaired people.

 

The work has also developed beyond Malta through cooperation with Agri Natural India, bringing together different knowledge and expertise around natural products, animal welfare and enterprise.

 

From dogs to horses

 

The story that began with rescued dogs is now opening another interesting path — horses.

 

Stephen comes from Qormi, a Maltese community with a strong connection to horses and horse enthusiasts. This provides a natural link between animal welfare, Maltese culture and the developing vision surrounding St Eligius, traditionally associated with horses and veterinarians.

 

It creates an extraordinary journey:

 

Rescued dogs → animal wellbeing → Braille products → entrepreneurship → horses → Maltese culture.

 

Building something together

 

Perhaps the most important part of Stephen's story is that it changes the question.

 

Instead of asking:

 

“What can a blind person do?”

 

it asks:

 

“What can we build together?”

 

Blind and visually impaired people can care for animals, develop ideas, learn skills, work alongside specialists and contribute to enterprise.

 

Stephen's journey demonstrates what can happen when opportunity replaces assumption.

 

The rescued dogs helped open one door.

 

Braille Wellbeing opened another.

 

And now the journey is reaching towards horses, communities and new international friendships.

 

For Nurturing Our Community, this makes the connection particularly meaningful. As we help facilitate links between our friends in Malta and communities here in the UK, activities involving horticulture, animals, creativity and shared experiences can become much more than visits.

 

They can become opportunities to learn from one another — and to discover what we can build together.