About this Short Film
A Touch of Legerity (Moses Mwaniki Mburu, Kenya, 2015) follows Our Sharon Pulsing, who lost his sight after meningitis in 2003 and rebuilt a life as a mechanic, working largely on Land Rovers. Told in his own voice, the short film foregrounds practical skill and tactile knowledge — how he identifies parts by touch, tackles gearboxes and navigates jobs that still require someone to guide visual alignments — and reflects on patient clients, community recognition and the steady recovery of confidence. The tone is candid and matter‑of‑fact rather than dramatic, offering audiences insight into accessible ways of working, the realities of adapting a craft after sight loss, and a respectful portrait of expertise that suits the Focus on Ability programme.
Film Details
Film Transcript
Slowly, by slowly I started working on my own cars, family cars. Then I slowly gained the courage again. I remember a newspaper interview about some Portuguese mechanic who was servicing for Land Rover in the Paris–Dakar rally and he was also blind. I decided I'll not sit and let my skill go down. It's something I've done for quite a number of years.
So I know the parts of the car just by feeling. I can tell whatever I need, what size of spanner by touching. I can tell this is a size 10 or 12 or 13. The fact that I'm blind leaves the rest of us in awe because he's able to open the engine, using his hands and just his experience — he's able to tell what's the problem of a car.
I would fix one car at a time and then my client would let another client know. The first job I remember, a friend let me do his timing belt, and with his help I was able to do the timing. Then slowly I was given several gearboxes. I have done, like, we were just hitting the steering system — this is the power steering pump — we changed the steering box, the manual steering, so we changed it to power steering.
What amazes me is that he does so much yet he can't see. For some of us it's a privilege to see someone do so much and you can't even see, because he can help out especially with cars and that's really complicated — to know all parts of the car and you can't see what is going on with a car. He helped my mum one time.
Challenges are those jobs that require sight, like if you need to align marks and things like wiring — those have become quite difficult now. But if there's somebody just to guide me and tell me that this mark has aligned with this other mark, then it's possible to do most of the jobs on the vehicle.
One thing we've realised: he has a passion. He loves his job and I don't think you can pluck him out of that if you were to give him another job. I'm an enthusiast, so gearboxes are my favourite part of the car because I like it — it challenges my mind and I enjoy working on the gearbox most. I specialised on my cars, but Land Rover is a passion for me because we've always had a Land Rover.
I'm lucky because I've got very patient clients; they've been good to me. I'm extremely grateful to them. He's been an inspiration as I grew up because I see him every day when I come from school with an arm around a tool. Those are people you look forward to in society. People will change no matter what their condition and it's not too late to learn anything new. We are able just like everybody else.
Just ask everyone to pray to God, believe in his abilities. Initially, when I used to pray, I asked for my sight back, but these days I just ask him to bless the work of my hands.
Filmmaker
Moses Mwaniki Mburu is the filmmaker behind this entry. See every Focus on Ability entry from Moses Mwaniki Mburu.
This Is Truly Inspirational
Wow Educativetotally Unbelievable
A Good One Cuz. I Love It. All The Best
I Loved This Movie. This Man Is Extraordinary
Nice One.
This A Very Inspiring Film Saying About The Unlimited Capacity Of Humans
The Most Moving Story Ii Ever Watched For A While.
Very Educative.... Well Done
It Touches Those Who Lost Hopeand Gives Pple Hopes