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Where we are

Partner countries

LIGHT FOR THE WORLD has chosen 6 priority countries and 9 more programme countries to focus its work. This ensures optimal cooperation with local partner organisations, government authorities, specialized organisations, experts and the use of local infrastructure to keep administration costs at a minimum. Wherever possible, LIGHT FOR THE WORLD contributes to the implementation of National Development Strategies such as the National Plans for Prevention of Blindness, or facilitates the development of them.

Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, DR Congo, Mozambique, Rwanda, Southern Sudan

In Ethiopia, LIGHT FOR THE WORLD works in the fields of blindness prevention and Community Based Rehabilitation. With assistance of the Austrian Development Cooperation LIGHT FOR THE WORLD has substantially contributed to the establishment and the implementation of the National Plan for Prevention of Blindness. In Somali region, the most neglected in the country, LIGHT FOR THE WORLD pioneered the Eye Care Work in partnership with the Regional Health Bureau. Ethiopia is also a focus country for the child sponsorship programme.

The main thrust in Burkina Faso is to support children with disabilities to master their lives. This is achieved through Community Based Rehabilitation, funded partly by the child sponsorship programme. A successful eye care programme has been launched east of the country's capital Ouagadougou in close collaboration with the Community Based Rehabilitation initiatives in that region. With disabled peoples organisations and educational institutions, we promote schooling for visually and hearing impaired children.

In DR Congo, the focus lies in blindness prevention in the Upper Katanga province. LIGHT FOR THE WORLD is also involved in education programmes for children with visual or hearing impairments.

In Southern Sudan LIGHT FOR THE WORLD, in partnership with the Dutch organisation Dark & Light, supports the only existing comprehensive eye care programme outside the Southern Sudan capital Juba. A programme for the inclusion of children with disabilities in regular schools has also recently been set up.

In Mozambique the involvement of LIGHT FiOR THE WORLD focuses on the central and northern region of the country in which, so far, persons with disabilities have very limited access to services and support. A pilot project on prevention of blindness was set up in Beira, the capital of Sofala province, offering high quality eye care services to the 1.7 million inhabitants in the province. Next steps have been taken to expand the programme of LIGHT FOR THE WORLD sustainably to the other provinces.

In Rwanda LIGHT FOR THE WORLD contributes with its support to the National Programme for Prevention of Blindness. The eye department in the hospital of Kabgayi, closely related to a Community Based Rehabilitation programme, is a model character for eye care that reaches to the poor people of the region.

And 9 more partner countries

In addition to the six priority countries, LIGHT FOR THE WORLD is active in the following countries and regions: Kenya, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Northeast India, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Bolivia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. For an effective development cooperation, detailed knowledge of a country or region, its social structure, the health and educational system and strong links with civil society are essential. In the partner countries, specific programmes are developed and implemented cooperating with regional partners and other international NGOs. This ensures high effectiveness and efficiency in reaching people who are blind, have eye diseases or are otherwise disabled.

Full project list