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Neglected, forgotten and living in poverty – this is the reality for the majority of blind people in the developing world. But a Sightsavers-supported project in Mali shows it doesn’t have to be this way.

“I realised I was going blind on 22 November 1977,” says 60-year-old Dougou Fana Coulibaly, (pictured above). “I cannot forget the date. Before I went blind, I fished and farmed. When I went blind, I resorted to begging.” 

Dougou’s story is all too common. In Bamako, the capital of Mali, many people who have lost their sight can be found begging on the streets. Dougou went blind from river blindness which was rife in the Tienfala district of Mali where he lives.

Many people fled from the area for fear of losing their sight from the disease. Thanks to Sightsavers’ work there, river blindness is now under control and people have returned home.

Living independently

But for Dougou and many others it is too late. They must find ways of living with their blindness. Watching Dougou cast his net in the lake nearby his home, it is clear he has done just that, thanks to the help he’s received through a project run by Sightsavers’ partner, the Mali Union of the Blind.

Project Rehabilitation Kati spans 46 villages in south west Mali. Its aim is to teach people who are visually impaired mobility skills, and provide training so they can earn a living. The project also creates support committees for people with sight problems to make sure they are listened to and involved in decision making in their communities.

“I was given a goat and shown how to look after it,” Dougou tells us. “With the money I made when I sold it, I bought myself a net. I was taught how to get around by myself, and how to get from my house to the lake. You don’t need to be able to see to fish, if you have the right technique, you can do it. I sell the fish I catch at the market to buy things for my family. I knew how to fish before going blind, so now I continue to do it.”

Bakary Coulibaly (pictured below, in a Sightsavers t-shirt) is one of six rehabilitation workers for the Mali Union of the Blind. He works closely with Dougou and other visually impaired people to provide tailored support. He taught 64-year-old Tenein Doubmia how to use a white cane, which helps her look after her goats – also given as part of the project. A specially adapted handmill enables her to charge other women in the area to grind their millet. (See photos below.)

“Before we came here”, says Bakary, “people thought that it wasn’t possible for a visually impaired person to be independent. Now, everyone understands that they can find their own way.”