- News Wrap
- Disability Rights
- Eye Health
May 2025 News Wrap — our work, successes and impact.
Restored sight and bright futures in Burkina Faso
More than 350 people have had their vision restored through cataract surgery and 720 students have received eyeglasses in Kaya, Burkina Faso, as part of our inclusive eye health project.
Nearly 100 nurses and midwives from 47 health centres were also trained to care for patients with eye conditions.
Since 2023, over 35,000 students and teachers have been screened for refractive errors and 2.37 million people reached with eye health awareness campaigns through community talks and radio.
The project aims to deliver inclusive, sight-saving care to people with disabilities, internally displaced people and host communities.
Powering inclusion from clinics to cabinets
From surgical theatres in Tigray to city halls in Amhara, Light for the World continues to put inclusion into practice in Ethiopia.
At Quiha Hospital in Mekelle, Tigray, 13 ophthalmic nurses have received disability inclusion and awareness training, facilitated by Waga Demissie (pictured above), Disability Inclusion Advisor. The training will strengthen the ability of TT (trachomatous trichiasis) surgeons to deliver inclusive eye health services.
Meanwhile, in Dessie and Kombolcha City, cabinet members and technical experts — including the Vice Mayor of Dessie — joined a session focused on boosting the participation of women with disabilities in local development.
Both trainings ended with calls for collaboration and action — paving the way for more inclusive health and governance.
We Can Work competition celebrates African storytellers
Young Africans with disabilities have showcased their unique storytelling skills in the inaugural We Can Work Narrative Competition.
From hundreds of entries, including essays, art, films and photography, 16 winners were chosen, with Ugandan doctor and inclusive healthcare advocate Dr Rachael Kalinaki the overall winner.
As part of their prize, the winners, from Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Senegal, Ghana, and Nigeria, become ambassadors for the We Can Work programme.
The competition and stories from Amanuel Solomon and Tilahun Dinku, two winners from Ethiopia, were covered by Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation and Fana Television.
Read more about the winners and see all the winning entries in this digital anthology.
Global summit highlights eye health for all
Light for the World colleagues have backed the drive for universal eye health at the International Association for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) annual summit, 2030 IN SIGHT.
The summit, which brought together over 2,000 eye health experts from IAPB’s more than 250 member organisations, was opened by Nepal’s Prime Minister and Minister of Health.
Dr Geoffrey Wabulembo, Senior Expert, Eye Health, and a member of the IAPB board, spoke at sessions focused on cataracts and best-practice for treating hard-to-reach patients.
Katri Bertram, International Director of Impact and Advocacy, spoke at sessions on the Sustainable Development Goals and best practices in eye health, and co-launched a disability and eye health working group. Light for the World is supporting preparatory work for a Global Eye Health Summit in 2026.
Strategic meetings were held with partners including the WHO, Sightsavers and CBM.
Meet our experts in Economic Empowerment, Inclusive Education
We are thrilled to welcome two Senior Experts to support our mission to spark lasting change for disability rights and eye health.
Dr Rediet Mesfin (above, left) joins as Senior Expert in Inclusive Education and Faustina Ning’a Cikanda as Senior Expert in Economic Empowerment.
Rediet, based in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, has 15 years’ experience of inclusive education in academic and community development programmes.
Faustina, based in Nairobi, Kenya, has 13 years’ experience designing and leading inclusive economic empowerment programmes across Africa.
Read more about Rediet and Faustina and join us in welcoming them to Light for the World!
In case you missed it…
- Vanessa Dos Santos, Gender Officer at Light for the World Mozambique, was honoured for social activism related to women’s rights by the Rotary Club of Beira.
- On Global Accessibility Awareness Day, we shared the accessibility features youth advocates found at the Global Disability Summit 2025.
- Jane Waithera told the World Health Organization (WHO) about the transformative impact a pair of eyeglasses had on her life.
- Education Cannot Wait reported how Light for the World is training teachers in sign language and braille in South Sudan to drive inclusive education.
- The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) highlighted the SPARK programme in an article about disability inclusion in agriculture.
- SPARK was also featured in a report on climate justice and people with disabilities, which Light for the World worked on with BOND and International Disability and Development Consortium.
- Tigray TV in Ethiopia covered the handover of essential Trachomatous Trichiasis surgery equipment to Tigray Regional Health Bureau from Light for the World.
