Despite losing his eyesight at a young age, 82-year-old Raif Kurt, who lives in Manisa, continues to lead an independent life by traveling alone on a donkey between his home in the district center and his house in the countryside.
Kurt was born in Bulgaria in 1943 with a genetic visual impairment and migrated with his family to the Salihli district of Manisa in western Türkiye in 1951. He completely lost his vision at the age of 20 but, despite his disability, earned his living for many years as a shepherd and agricultural laborer.
Living alone throughout his life and never marrying, Kurt strives to manage his daily affairs independently. For more than 60 years, his greatest support has been donkeys, which have enabled him to move freely between rural and urban areas despite his blindness.
For the past 24 years, Kurt has been traveling with his current donkey, which he named Magare, meaning "donkey" in Bulgarian. After he took ownership of Magare, the animal underwent training for a period with a guide. Since then, the donkey has learned the roads between Kurt’s home in Kurtuluş neighborhood and his farmhouse in the Karaağaç area, allowing him to travel on his own.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Kurt recalled the hardships his family faced after leaving Bulgaria. He said they arrived in Salihli with nothing and built a new life under difficult conditions.
“There is no place in these mountains where I haven’t stepped,” Kurt said. “While herding goats, my eyes started to fail. The goats would walk toward cliffs, and I couldn’t stop them. I fell off cliffs five times but survived. It seems we were meant to live to this day.”
Emphasizing the importance of his donkey in daily life, Kurt said: “The donkey became my eyes and ears. Without it, I couldn’t go anywhere. We trained the donkey. First, a child led us back and forth for a month. Then the donkey learned on its own.”
Kurt noted that stray dogs sometimes attack the donkey, causing him to fall and injure his shoulders, but said he continues his journeys despite the risks.
Local shopkeeper Kerem Al said residents support Kurt with his daily needs, adding that a father-son-like bond has formed between them.
“The donkey is his hands and feet,” Al said. “It knows the way. When he leaves his home, the donkey comes straight here.”
