University Gondar, North West Ethiopia
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VISION 2020 VIDEO

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Download Activity report 2009/2010 (PDF)
Download Rapport d'activités 2008/2009 (PDF)

Let action speak.

LIGHT FOR THE WORLD is a European confederation of national development NGOs committed to saving eyesight, improving the quality of life and advocating for the rights of person with disabilities in the underprivileged regions of our world.

LIGHT FOR THE WORLD is dedicated to ensuring the rights of persons with disabilities in developing countries, without discrimination of gender, ethnicity, social group or religion. Of 37 million blind people in the world, 90 % live in developing countries. 75 % of all cases of blindness are treatable by relatively simple means or could have been avoided in the first place. 80 % of the world’s 650 million persons with disabilities live in developing countries, 120 million of them are children. Only a very small percentage has access to basic health care and primary education. In this cycle of poverty and disability people are deprived of their fundamental human rights and are largely excluded from development processes. In addition, poverty means that millions of people are at risk of acquiring impairments and becoming disabled. In more than 50 % of the cases an impairment is avoidable.

LIGHT FOR THE WORLD provides access to treatment and therapy for affected people by supporting local partner organisations. We also commit ourselves to the task of creating new prospects for persons with disabilities, to increase mobility with the help of devices, to start initiatives that will provide education and income and to support them to exercise their rights. Another objective of LIGHT FOR THE WORLD is to raise awareness on the situation of persons with disabilities in their family and environment. This is an important basis for social inclusion and for the autonomy and self-determination of persons with disabilities.

Guiding principles in cooperation with partners in the developing world

• We support local partners in underprivileged regions of the world in their work with and for persons who are blind, have other disabilities or are at risk of becoming disabled.
• We provide help irrespective of gender, ethnicity, or religion and in particular to underprivileged groups, such as women, children, indigenous peoples and minorities.
• We act according to the needs of the people affected.
• Our programmes reach as many people as possible.
• We support programmes leading to sustainable strengthening and social inclusion of persons who are blind or have other disabilities in their communities.
• We help our programmes through difficult periods and respond to current challenges with endurance, perseverance and flexibility.
• We apply efficient and economical use of funds and take into consideration principles of ecological and social sustainability and fair trade whenever possible.
• We enable a global exchange of experiences regarding effective and efficient concepts in our programme countries.

Development cooperation as a mandate

• We enable access to adequate health care.
• We support the establishment of social and health care systems in our partner countries.
• We improve living conditions and opportunities sustainably and in the long-term.
• We advocate for the rights of persons with disabilities, especially in cases where they are not yet in the position to speak for themselves.
• We support representative groups led by persons with disabilities themselves, to self-advocate for their rights and concerns.
• We increase public awareness in Europe of the concerns and interests of persons with disabilities in developing countries.