Theme: Our Vision for children is for every child to be able to go to school including the blind

“Canug kasta waa inuu wax barto xataa kan indhoolka ah” 

 
  The commemoration of world sight day at Merka, Somalia on 11th October 2007 was a highlight to several activities which were organized by HISAN and Rainbow school for the blind.  This was preceded by field visits during the month of September where HISAN team met with quite a number of children with visual impairments. The organizing committee felt there is a need to hold several days awareness campaign towards creating awareness on preventable blindness, need of taking childrn for immunization, early childhood intervention and more so the education for the blind children.  

  Handicap initiatives supporting and networking (HISAN) opened the first school for the blind (Rainbow school) in Somalia in June 2004, and since then many people are yet to accept the fact that a blind person  can go to school and learn like any other child. The problem is exacerbated by the fact most parents themselves did not attend school and thus see no need to take their children to school. This is manifested by the general low school enrolment of sighted children in Somalia, and minimal enrolment of children with special needs, given that up to year 2004 there was no school which was offering special education.  

  The organizing committee came up with several activities starting from 1st of October up to 15th October 2007, all of which were aimed at creating awareness on special needs education, preventable blindness, eye diseases, importance of white cane to people with visual impairments as well as advocates for the rights of people with disability. Some of the activities which were planned were:

    • Radio, T.V. and other electronic media campaign,
    • Field visits to the rural areas,
    • Athletics competition involving both the blind and sighted,
    • Beading competition,
    • Awareness on inclusive education,
    • Vision screening,
    • Essay writing and drawing competition by school children on blindness
    • Fund raising for the operation of children with cataracts, and organizing for the operation of cataracts,
    • Lobbying  the stake holders to participates in World Sight day activities
    • World sight day celebration on 11th October 2007,
    • White cane day on 15th Oct., 2007,