Vision for the Blind SL

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Vision for the Blind (VFB) is local voluntary organization, set up to promote and seek the interest of persons with disability, the blind and visually impaired in particular in Sierra Leone, especially women, children and young people. It was set up in 2003 by a group of blind teachers who had the vision of country in which everyone who is blind has the same rights, opportunities and responsibilities as those who are sighted.
Vision for the Blind is working to:
• reduce the high level of illiteracy and street begging amongst the blind;
• make education available and accessible, free of charge to all blind children;
• help blind people overcome the impediment of blindness so that they become productive and self reliant;
• fight against discrimination of blind people in all its ugly forms.

VFB provides the blind people with education, vocational skills training and guidance and counselling, so they will become independent and self reliance so that they can also contribute to the development of their society.
VFB has an office in Makeni, where it carries out most of its education and training work. The organization decided to focus on the Northern Province because it has the highest percentage of blind people in the country. It has so far trained more than one hundred blind men and women in a range of useful skills, from soap-making and weaving to basketwork. It provides start-up kits and mentoring for its graduates, resources permitting. VFB also provides day to day support for the blind community in Makeni and regularly gives radio broadcasts. It is also lobbying nationally and was successful in getting questions on blindness and disability onto the last national census.

Jonathan Conteh is the director of Vision for the Blind.

For other net participants we can offer overnight facilities and establish new contacts in the field of our work.