An effective collaboration page 3
We then drove to UMAV (Union Malienne des Aveugles – Malian Union of the Blind). I was pleased to hear that just three weeks ago, the Mali government ratified the UN Convention for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. We were shown around the facility. They produce Braille books here for all the schools for the blind in Mali – using equipment donated by the Force Foundation. Here they employed someone who had been fully trained, unlike in Benin.
Inclusive education at work
Visually impaired children at the primary level are taught separately, but at the secondary level they are integrated with sighted children. We saw classes from both, and the teacher we met in the secondary class was blind himself. Children with low vision had access to proper devices and were not just taught Braille.
This is the school where world music stars and Sightsavers ambassadors Amadou and Mariam (link) were educated, and also where they got married. They provide financial support to this day.
Education for All
We then moved on to visit Madame Maiga, the President of Education for All (link) in Mali. She was a very interesting woman who began by saying that girls should be the focus of advocacy for education as ‘if you educate the woman you educate the family’. By the end she was castigating me saying we should be advocating for visually impaired children more vigorously. I think the best result of any advocacy encounter is if the person to whom you are advocating starts by saying what you want is not terribly important, then ends up saying you should be doing more of it as it so critical…..
After a brief visit to the Country Office we called on WaterAid.
Effective collaboration!
WaterAid had evaluated the Tienfala project and thought it was so good they wanted to expand it, even though it was outside their normal geographical area of operation. As part of the project, they had developed an accessible latrine, which they intended to look at rolling out across their whole West African operation. This had been inspired by the work we had done with them. This is a fantastic example of the wider impact of our work and partnerships. We have influenced another charity to think about accessibility in their sanitation work, and as a result have changed how they operate.
Further to this, they got together with Handicap International at the dinner we hosted last night, and are talking about introducing them to the accessible latrine. Wide impact indeed.
This was a great meeting, and I believe there is significant potential for further work with WaterAid, both here, and in other countries where trachoma is a significant problem.
Finally we met with the Director of the proposed new Mopti Comprehensive Eye Service (CES) (link) Project. Mopti is an area where the problems of lack of water and too much water alternate. The water which they have is not potable. The adult literacy rate in the area is only 12%, and many of the population are nomadic (the famous Dogon people). This will be a very challenging project, but the levels of trachoma are very high, and other eye diseases (but not river blindness) are also believed to be prevalent. There are several different charities working there, but little or no collaboration. It’s not going to be easy….
By the end of this busy trip I was pretty exhausted. My inadequate French had just about run out, and I was very touched to receive a lovely green Malian outfit from the staff. As I said goodbye to everyone, it struck me that my job is wonderful in that I meet so many fantastic people across the world, but very sad, in that it is filled with goodbyes…..
What do you think?