- News Wrap
- Disability Rights
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August 2025 News Wrap — our work, successes and impact.
Light for the World has launched the first joint eye health project with Sightsavers in Cascades region, Burkina Faso, funded by L’Occitane Foundation.
By the end of 2025, the project aims to screen more than 19,000 children and adults in schools and communities and provide more than 500 pairs of glasses to students and teachers. More than 400 teachers and community health volunteers will also be trained in vision screening and at least 200 cataract operations will be provided.
The life-changing services are part of the innovative 10-year child eye health programme, “1,2,3 I can see!”.
“Access to quality eye health services is a fundamental right, yet too many people in Burkina Faso still face barriers. Thanks to our long-standing partnership with the L’Occitane Foundation, we have contributed to the development of comprehensive and quality eye health care in Burkina Faso,” says Étienne Bagré, Country Director, Light for the World Burkina Faso.
“It is through this type of collaboration that we can make eye health a reality for all.”
New livelihoods project in Ethiopia
Light for the World and the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) have launched a two-year project to strengthen livelihoods and build resilience in the Sidama Region of Ethiopia.
The project will be jointly implemented by CARE Ethiopia, the Austrian Red Cross and the Ethiopian Red Cross Society.
“This partnership builds on more than two decades of collaboration between Light for the World and ADA,” said Lucy Nyaga, International Director of Programmes at Light for the World.
“In times of funding cuts and multiple crises, collaboration, solidarity and a focus on the most vulnerable persons are more important than ever.”
Kenyan counties urged to embrace disability inclusion
At the Devolution Conference 2025, Light for the World Kenya co-hosted the side event “From Policy to Impact: Driving Disability Inclusion through Devolution”. The event was held alongside the National Council for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD), Sightsavers, United Disabled Persons of Kenya (UDPK), CBM Christian Blind Mission and the Council of Governors.
Government leaders, Organisations of People with Disabilities (OPDs), civil society and private sector representatives shared practical ways to improve services, channel resources and strengthen regulations. All with the goal that people with disabilities can fully participate in employment and entrepreneurship.
Kenyan President William Ruto even visited our exhibition booth to see products and innovations from micro-entrepreneurs with disabilities.
“Our approach matches skills to market demand, makes services accessible, builds financial literacy and strengthens partnerships between counties and OPDs. We combine technical training with soft skills like decision-making and problem-solving,” said Richard Mativu, Country Director, Light for the World Kenya.
Eric Ngondi, Board Chair of UDPK, called on counties to involve OPD leaders at every stage of decision-making and to ensure services and infrastructure are fully accessible.
Monitoring visit highlights impact and ongoing needs in Palabek, Uganda
Host and refugee communities in Uganda have had improvements in nutrition, vocational skills training and livelihood, but more support is needed, a monitoring and evaluation visit has found.
As the Resilience Project nears the end, Light for the World conducted a visit in Palabek, Lamwo District to measure its impact.
Together with our partner organisations, and funded by the Austrian Development Agency, we engaged directly with host and refugee communities to hear from those whose lives have been impacted by the initiative.
The Resilience Project is designed to strengthen household and community capacity to adapt and recover from shocks, improve food and nutrition security, increase access to sustainable income-generating activities and promote community-led development and learning.
The visit reaffirmed our commitment to inclusive, community-driven development and the importance of continued collaboration to build stronger, more resilient communities.
Inclusive Futures strengthens disability leadership in Kenya
Light for the World Kenya and the County Governments of Kakamega and Laikipia have signed an agreement that will reflect disability inclusion in country planning, budgeting and economic priorities.
The milestone Memoranda of Understanding mark a significant step forward in ensuring people with disabilities are not only included, but actively driving change.
It comes three years after Light for the World began working with Organisations of People with Disabilities to influence how counties and businesses design systems. The focus has been on shifting decision-making power, resources and opportunities to people with disabilities.
Through the Inclusive Futures consortium, which includes Sightsavers, Sense International, Light for the World, Humanity & Inclusion UK, and United Disabled Persons of Kenya (UDPK), this work has created environments where people with disabilities lead in shaping their economic futures.
Schoolchildren standing against gender-based violence in Mozambique
The pilot phase of the first inclusive No Means No Worldwide curriculum has successfully concluded in five schools across Beira and Nhamatanda, reaching over 300 girls and boys with and without disabilities.
The training equips young people with the skills to stand up against gender-based violence and strengthens their self-defence capabilities. It is part of the gender-transformative InPower programme by Light for the World, implemented in partnership with Girl Child Rights and funded by the Austrian Development Agency.
By integrating disability inclusion into gender-based violence prevention, the programme helps build safer, more empowered communities in Sofala Province, where every young person has the right to protection, confidence and opportunity.
In case you missed it …
- Vienna Online covered the call of Jacqueline Bungart, Senior Expert for Humanitarian Action, to remember people with disabilities in humanitarian emergencies, on World Humanitarian Day.
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