our work / Visual Disability No Barrier to Education
£15 per month helps to get a visually disabled young person integrated into school.
Visual impairment as a result of diseases like trachoma can be directly related to lack of clean water and medication.
In rural communities such as those in Limpopo Province the ability to prevent diseases causing blindness or help those who are affected has been severely limited, resulting in lack of access to education and employment which perpetuates the cycle of poverty.
NMCF partner Rivoni Society for the Blind addresses these issues through the rehabilitation of blind people, helping them to learn essential life skills as well as ensuring that they gain access to education.
Members of the society are also offered the opportunity to learn work related skills and given support in developing small businesses.
Once the individual students have received counselling and rehabilitative training, they are able to move into the second stage of the programme, where they are taught to read and write in Braille, English and typing skills. Once this training is complete they are able to move onto mainstream school, or university, depending on their age.
NMCF is funding Rivoni's work with younger pupils who will benefit from attending mainstream school in order to attain their matriculation and move into university or work.
The staff at Rivoni negotiate with the school to ensure that the young people are given places, and discuss the issues of physical access and movement around the building.
This is a highly significant development as it gives an opportunity for understanding between non-disabled and disabled young people, reducing the stigma that has led to disabled people being denied access to the opportunities offered by education and employment.
Contacts currently exist with 5 local high schools where students are studying for a range of qualifications, and 2 people had recently entered the University of Limpopo to further their studies.