Community development
Communities are not always aware of their own health needs, and visually impaired people are often not included in discussions and decisions that affect the development of their communities.
We believe that making sure everyone, including the most disadvantaged, is involved in their community’s development, is key to reducing poverty.
Community development cuts across all three of our other themes (education, health, social inclusion). For example, Sightsavers’ model for combating river blindness is rooted in community involvement. Volunteers are nominated to take responsibility for the distribution of tablets and maintenance of village records. Working in this way we can ensure millions every year are protected from this potentially blinding disease.
We are supporting a project in Pakistan which seeks to ensure that disabled people are included in community life, and are having their needs addressed. Citizens Community Boards already exist to represent poor and marginalised people, but Sightsavers and our partners have made sure that these boards now include people with disabilities, so they are not overlooked. Click here to find out more about this project.
