- News Wrap
April 2026 News Wrap — our work, successes and impact
RISE programme opens paths to skills and employment
More than 100 young people have joined the RISE programme in Kenya to develop skills and build clear pathways to employment.
Structured mentorship and coaching will be offered to 108 people with and without disabilities from Zetech University, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology and Multimedia University of Kenya as they prepare for employment.
Delivered by Light for the World Kenya in partnership with Sightsavers and the Standard Chartered Foundation, the programme supports intentional connections and pathways between education and work for young people with disabilities.
SPARK of inspiration for inclusive agriculture
People with disabilities will design and co-create innovative tools and approaches for inclusive agriculture under the second phase of a pioneering rural transformation programme.
SPARK II-ESA (Scaling Up Disability Inclusive Transformation in East and Southern Africa) is the second phase of the SPARK programme, funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). It is led by Light for the World in partnership with the International Labour Organization (ILO), Procasur and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
The programme, which runs until April, 2029, will work across Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. It will ensure people with disabilities, particularly women and youth, actively participate in and benefit from IFAD-funded rural development projects.
This includes training Disability Inclusion Facilitators, co-creating agricultural innovations through AgriLabs and organising cross-country Learning Routes to share good practice.
Graduates set for success in Ethiopia
Young people with disabilities in Ethiopia are on the path to meaningful work, with 78 recently graduating from the We Can Work programme.
The graduates completed pathways in entrepreneurship, technical skills and employment. Technical track graduates received sewing machines to support their next steps. Five participants from the entrepreneurship pathway were also recognised for outstanding achievement.
Suadik Hassen, Country Director at Light for the World Ethiopia, highlighted the importance of collaborative partnerships in creating sustainable employment and inclusive economic growth.
The programme is led in Ethiopia by Light for the World Ethiopia and implemented by STEMPower and the Development Expertise Center, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation and the African Disability Forum (ADF). It enhances inclusive economic opportunities, with a strong focus on empowering young people with disabilities through skills development and employment creation.
Spotlight on South Sudan blind football
The Telegraph, a national UK newspaper, published a feature on blind football in South Sudan.
The article, From lockdown to Los Angeles: the rise and rise of South Sudan’s blind footballers, explains how the sport has grown from two players and a homemade ball, to chasing qualification for the Paralympic Games.
The national team, which is supported by Light for the World, aims to play in Division One of the IBSA Blind Football Championship in Egypt later this year. The Bright Stars qualified after winning the Division Two tournament in Uganda last year.
Ensuring inclusive humanitarian response in Burkina Faso
The award-winning IMPACT-BF programme — which provides an inclusive humanitarian response in the Nakambé region in Burkina Faso — has been extended until late 2027.
A technical workshop was held in Tenkodogo in April to present the top-up to the programme, which was covered by LeFaso.net.
Initially implemented in Bittou, Tenkodogo, Pouytenga and Koupéla, the project has been extended to also cover the municipalities Bagré, Zoaga, Andemtenga and Ouargaye.
The project promotes inclusive humanitarian action in communities affected by crisis, for example by including people with disabilities in Village Savings and Loan Associations and farming projects.
After the technical workshop, participants visited promising vegetable production sites managed by people with disabilities and internally displaced people.
Funded by the Austrian Development Agency, IMPACT-BF is implemented by Light for the World, the Burkinabé Red Cross and Association d’appui et d’ Eveil Pugsada (ADEP).
In case you missed it…
- We welcomed Katrina Virta to Light for the World as our new International Director for Impact & External Relations.
- Silvester Kasozi, Country Director at Light for the World Uganda, called for companies to embed true inclusion into their workplaces, in an article for Daily Monitor.
- Standard Media reported on the PowerUp programme in Kenya, with more than 200 young people receiving training to start e-waste enterprises.
