Adult cataract operation
"I want to be a doctor and help people when I grow up."Janet Kuma, The Gambia
£185
Education is a way out of poverty, but it’s hard to learn when you haven’t got the right materials. The gift of a Perkins Brailler will enable children who are blind to use Braille to help them learn alongside their sighted classmates.
The Perkins Brailler is a Braille typewriter with a key corresponding to each of the six dots of the Braille code. By simultaneously pressing different combinations of the six keys, users can create any of the characters in the Braille code.
Janet Kuma aged 12 has severe low vision. Her Brailler will help her to keep up with her classmates in school.
Education:
Your gift will contribute to projects which help visually impaired children to attend school, giving them the best possible chance of an independent future.
See your gift in action
Alieu Jallow, aged 11, is in grade five at Bakoteh Lower Basic School, Madina Kaiaf, The Gambia.
Mrs Ajaratou Chow, the headmistress of the school, explained that initially she was not a supporter of inclusive education: “I did not understand how a blind child could go to school and perform alongside sighted children.”
However after only a couple of months she was pleasantly surprised by the school’s first blind pupil. “Alieu consistently comes top of his class in his monthly tests. He came first in English out of 500 sighted children in the departmental exams.
“I’m constantly amazed by Alieu's senses and intelligence, how he moves around without a cane and is able to participate in games with the other children; he even rides a bicycle. There is no doubt he will go on to secondary school and will continue surprising everybody.”
Alieu Jallow is completely blind; before joining the school in September he attended a school for the blind. “I didn’t like the blind school but I’m happy here. I have many friends here and I like my teacher.”