Home » Our work » Around the world » West Africa » Nigeria

Our staff are at the heart of our work allowing us to deliver services to the highest standard. Safiya is a programme manager in Sightsavers’ country office in Nigeria where she’s worked for eleven years.

One of my proudest moments last year was bringing blind people in the communities together to form local groups for the first time. This provided them with a forum to discuss issues of common interest. Before then representation of blind people was only by a few members at the local government level. The formation of these groups meant there was a better link with the local government branch of the association of the blind, therefore their voices and opinions were heard. Their request for more allocation of fertilizer reached decision makers and was granted, which has made a big difference to their crop yield.

The best thing about working for Sightsavers is that our programmes truly change lives. A person with cataract in both eyes comes to the hospital with a guide and at the end of the surgery walks home unaided.”

Our work in Nigeria is transforming lives and giving people a sense of self worth. An example of this is Marcus, who was helped through the Kajuru Community Based Rehabilitation project in Kaduna State. As a blind young man his parents would try and protect him by locking him the house while they were out farming.

His parents were sceptical that the project would be able to help Marcus, but he was eventually enrolled and began receiving support and training. Soon Marcus started trekking to nearby villages on his own. He decided to rear animals as a vocation. With the help of the programme he bought a cow which he ended up selling to buy pigs, as they were more cost effective to breed.

In addition to rearing animals Marcus now farms crops. He has built his own house and is planning to marry. Moreover Marcus lends money to sighted people in the community.

I feel fulfilled to be part of this life transforming story.