Partnerships
Together, we are stronger
Collaboration is at the heart of everything we do. Our impact simply wouldn’t be possible without our partners.
We partner with organisations that bring strengths that complement our own so that together, we can make a bigger and more lasting difference for more people. Our partnerships are built around shared values and goals that guide how we work together.
Dr Olivia Ouedraogo, Director of Non-Communicable Diseases, Ministry of Health, Burkina Faso “Light for the World is one of the best partners I have known in all my years of service. They do not come with a project and say “do this”. Rather, they ask us what our priorities are and how they can support us!”
We are committed to strengthening local structures and capacity, fostering local ownership and focusing on the sustainability of our interventions.
Partnerships are crucial to achieving lasting systems change. We believe in putting the people and communities we work for at the centre of our work and co-creating solutions with them. Our partnerships give a greater voice to marginalised communities.
Edina Kozma, UNICEF “I have no doubt that the partnership between Light for the World and UNICEF will continue to be strong. A partnership like this, that is based on mutual trust and genuine commitment, has a solid ground for reaching tangible results for children and adults with disabilities.”
We engage with organisations of people with disabilities (OPDs), NGOs, government authorities, public institutions, international organisations, civil society and the private sector. We share data, lessons, learnings, tools, and experiences from and among our partners and programmes and collaborate with others to add to the global body of knowledge in our mandate areas. We openly report to our donors and supporters.
Chiara Manavella, Emergency Smile manager at RED NOSES International “Light for the World are amazing partners for RED NOSES International. By collaborating, we can explore the potential of co-creation to its fullest.”
Engagement with the disability movement
At Light for the World, we are committed to supporting the disability movement’s motto, “Nothing about us without us”.
Organisations of people with disabilities (OPDs) are crucial to all human rights and community development topics.
OPDs are led by people with disabilities and their families. They amplify voices that are too often unheard and fight for disability inclusion. The active participation of OPDs in policy and programme development and politics shapes our societies and contributes to removing social, physical, communication, legal, and institutional barriers.
Light for the World values our OPD partnerships. OPDs inform our programmes, engage in policy work, provide capacity-development support to their members, and connect influential stakeholders.
We work with major OPDs across our focus countries:
- Federation of Ethiopian Associations of Persons with Disabilities (FEAPD)
- Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations (GFD)
- Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD)
- Mozambican Association of People with Disabilities (FAMOD)
- National Union of Burkina Faso Association for Blind and Visual Impairments (UNABPAM)
- National Union of Burkinabé Association of Women with Disabilities (UNAFEHBF)
- National Union of Disabilities’ Organisations of Rwanda (NUDOR)
- National Union of Disabled Persons of Uganda (NUDIPU)
- Senegalese Federation of Associations of People with Disabilities (FSAPH)
- South Sudan Union of Persons with Disabilities (SSUPD)
- United Disabled Persons of Kenya (UDPK)
We also work closely with OPDs at the international and regional levels through the International Disability Alliance (IDA), the African Disability Forum (ADF), and the European Disability Forum (EDF).
Robert Ssewagudde, Disability Inclusion Facilitator and Youth on the Board of NUDIPU (National Union for Disabled Persons of Uganda) “Youth with disabilities must be involved in advocacy for inclusive policies and programmes because they form a big percentage of the population, and they are the leaders of tomorrow’s disability movement.”
Want to learn more about our Light for the World’s approach to partnerships with OPDs? See our policy here.
Institutional Partners
International Programme Partners
Networks and alliances
Light for the World is a member of several powerful networks of disability inclusion and international non-governmental organisations.
Foundations and other donors
Want to learn more about our partnerships?
If you are an international organisation interested in exploring collaboration with Light for the World, you can contact us here: partnerships@light-for-the-world.org.
If you are an organisation based in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, South Sudan, or Uganda, please contact the Light for the World Country Office nearest you. The contact details are on the Focus Countries page.
