Our Vision
- To see the blind and visually impaired people leading a spiritually rich life
Our Mission
- Enable the target group learn the gospel;
- Prepare Bible teaching materials and distribute to the members of the target group free of charge;
- Give counseling service and advisory support to those who need or ask for it;
- Set up a library equipped with adaptive technology products or devices and furnished with Braille and audio books or materials relating to biblical or spiritual teachings, social, cultural, recreational, or historical values as well as other useful information.
Our Context
There are about 4 million blind and visually impaired people living in Ethiopia according to a national survey taken recently. Out of this figure, 1.2 million are totally blind or visually impaired and the remaining 2.8 million are with low vision. We want to reach a significant number of these people through the Gospel.
Most of the blind and the visually impaired Christians do not have access to Braille Bible or audio devices of the Amharic Bible. So we believe that the Bible and other spiritual materials should be available in appropriate formats suitable to the need of the blind. The blind should also be given equal opportunity to participate in their local churches like the others.
In Ethiopian context, especially in rural areas, blindness is far beyond a physical disability that attributed to mental problem and psychological instability. It is even perceived as a curse for wrong-doings and blind people are not treated equally to their sighted counterparts in terms of getting proper education, training and employment opportunities.
Accordingly, our ministry is thus committed to promote equal access to the Gospel, education, training and employment opportunities to blind people by means of integrated adaptive technologies. We also work to build the skills and capabilities of blind people and promote the formation of inclusive communities so that the blind could prosper in their spiritual, social and economic life. In line with this, our ministry will launch Braille literacy campaigns and give basic computer trainings with speech software to the blind. We will also provide an integrated resource center service equipped with adaptive technologies that suit the needs of people with visual impairment.