Ethiopia

Ethiopian skilled personnel save eyesight

1,2 million people in Ethiopia are blind and the need for help is enormous. For this reason Ethiopia is the most important priority country for LIGHT FOR THE WORLD. LIGHT FOR THE WORLD conducts 16 projects in the area of blindness prevention alone. Important support comes from the Austrian federal government within the framework of the Austrian Development Cooperation.
In 2007 in the projects supported by LIGHT FOR THE WORLD 10.409 cataract surgeries were performed. LIGHT FOR THE WORLD supports within the Framework of National Blindness Prevention Plans the training programmes for local skilled eye care personnel at the universities in Gondar, Awassa and Jimma. In Jimma right now a cataract surgeon from Somali region is about to finish her education and will support the work of two eye doctors and a cataract surgeon in this region starting from this year. This represents another important step for the 5,4 % blind persons out of the total 4,1 million inhabitants.

Persons with disabilities

To support persons with disabilities, especially children, in their development and the evolvement of their talents, rehabilitation field workers visit families with disabled family members in Gondar. Apart from therapeutic treatment and the work with the families, the focus is put on awareness raising in the village and with the local institutions.

Rehabilitation helper Tsehaynesh shows Zelalem how to properly use her prothesis.

Zelalem can walk again!

When eight year old Zelalem lost her right leg in an accident with a horse cart, her world broke down. However, a therapy centre in Arba Minch, which works with the support of LIGHT FOR THE WORLD, provided her with a prosthesis and crutches.
With the help of her rehabilitation helper, Zelaem has now learned how to use them. She is learning how to have the prothesis support her weight and how to keep the balance. The exercises are strenuous and time consuming, but she has already achieved the first successes. In about two years Zelalem will be able to walk without crutches. Her first steps with the prothesis gave Zelalem her courage back. Now she can play and laugh with her friends!

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Mozambique

Seeing into the future

Since October 2007, the Ethiopian eye doctor Dr. Assegid Aga is working in the eye care programme in the provincial capital Beira, developed by LIGHT FOR THE WORLD. Apart from the eye examinations and surgeries in the clinic in Beira itself – 22 690 patients came to the clinic in 2007 – he will focus in 2008 also on reaching patients in other parts of the province of Sofala.
Together with a team from the eye clinic, is planning 24 visits to villages sometimes several hundred kilometres away. Patients, whose eyesight can be saved with surgery, are transported back to the clinic in Beira. Only a few days later the patients see their village again, in the true sense of the word.
Also in the neighbouring province the efforts of LIGHT FOR THE WORLD to support northern and central Mozambique in the framework of the National Blindness prevention plan showed good results. At the eye clinic in Quelimane in total 7 432 patients were examined and 234 cataract sugeries conducted in 2007.
Moreover, it was possible to provide the eye clinics in Lichinga and Tete with instruments and drugs.

Rehabilitation and education

Overjoyed Julieta holds little Gila. Finally she can not only feel her grand child, but also see her!

In Beira LIGHT FOR THE WORLD supports an initiative to teach blind people how to use computer software, email and internet. This acquired IT-know increases their chances for education and jobs. With the support of LIGHT FOR THE WORLD 14 blind persons in the provinces Sofala and Chimoio will over the next three years be trained to become teachers.After completing their education they will be employed in the state school system and hence be integrated in the job market.
LIGHT FOR THE WORLD faces a big challenge in the province of Sofala, where a pilot project for community based rehabilitation for people with disabilities is to be built.

Julieta’s way into the light

Half a year ago Julieta went blind. The active grandmother - who used to cook, work in the fields and look after the grand children - was suddenly dependent on the help of her family. Her son Augusto heard that an eye doctor will come for one day to the nearby village of Muanza. He put his mother on his bike, partly he carried her through the high reed and across streams. Julieta´s transport to the province hospital was taken care of.
The next day surgery was performed, after which she could not believe her eyes: She could count the doctor’s fingers! And even happier she was later when she could finally see her youngest grand daughter!

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Burkina Faso

Steps into Life

For many children with disabilities in Burkina Faso there are neither therapy nor therapeutic appliances available. This changed in the region around Kaya since the programme for community based rehabilitation started in 2006 with support by LIGHT FOR THE WORLD: rehabilitation field workers show parents during family visits how they can assist their children to learn skills to handle everyday life. The children’s development is in this manner facilitated in the familiar environment. Small miracles take place when the children slowly but surely take steps towards independence and no longer need to rely on others in the daily routines of life.

In 2007, LIGHT FOR THE WORLD supported four community based rehabilitation projects – more than 2 700 children were supported. Since the beginning of 2008, LIGHT FOR THE WORLD also supports two additional community based rehabilitation projects. Where possible, these projects work closely together with medical facilities, such as the eye clinic that LIGHT FOR THE WORLD established in Zorgho. The goal is to expand eye care services also to other regions in future.

Signs of Hope

The parallel bars are hardly finished before Gérard takes the first steps into life on his own legs!

CEFISE in the capital Ouagadougou is not like any other school – here groups of pupils communicate with each other and with teachers with signs. Deaf and hearing-impaired children receive support on different levels – from preschool to job training. In addition to expanding the offers for the hearing-impaired children, LIGHT FOR THE WORLD has made the enlargement of the centre possible. Moreover, LIGHT FOR THE WORLD supports the training of a teacher to become a much needed logopedician, a qualification that is rare in Burkina Faso.

Gérard learns to walk – with the help of his village

Since birth, Gérard cannot move his legs and his right hand, he can neither get up nor move forward. While his mother Monique is very caring and looks after him, she cannot help him. Rehabilitation field worker Jean-Claude took notice of the family: with professional care, Gérard will make progress, even learn to walk!
With massages and exercises Jean-Claude started to strengthen the boy’s muscles. And soon Gérard really could stand up. For further progress he needs parallel bars. The whole village helped in the construction and now notices what abilities the disabled boy has.
Gérard was radiating with happiness when he for the first time raised himself up along his new bars.

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Sudan

An eye care clinic is created

The hospital in Mapurdit in south-western Sudan had to refuse people with eye problems until not long ago. The needed equipment and medications simply was not available and nobody could diagnose eye conditions. In 2006, LIGHT FOR THE WORLD took on the challenge to set up a continuous eye care clinic for the 1,8 million inhabitants of the region. An ophthalmic nurse was employed, and an adequate building for the small eye medical clinic is under construction. In April 2008 for the first time an eye specialist team could travel to Mapurdit and operate on patients diagnosed with cataract. Also people with infectious eye diseases, trachoma and children at risk of blindness will receive better treatment at the new eye clinic in the future.

Inclusive education for children with disabilities

After years of civil war the education system in Southern Sudan is facing many challenges. One complete generation did not have access to school education. It is difficult to find qualified teachers. Schools need to be furnished, teaching material has to be provided. The people have to informed about the importance of basic education for children. All these challenges increase the risk that children with disabilities might be forgotten.

Aktuek is overjoyed. Finally she regained eyesight and can take care of her grandchildren!

Relief flights save eyesight

Aktuek Nal lives together with her daughter and her family close to Padak in southern Sudan. Aktuek used to be at the centre of family life, she cooked, kept the courtyard and hut clean, helped in the fields und took care of her grandchildren. However, two years ago she lost her eyesight. The once-cheerful woman started to spent her days quietly on her own, without contributing to family life. One day she heard in the village that someone would arrive that examines blind people and perhaps even can restore eyesight. Anxiously she waited with her family for the arrival of the flight which is supported by LIGHT FOR THE WORLD. She was diagnosed with cataract and operated on already the next day. Today Aktuek can see again, and again she works and takes care of her grand children!

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