Let's help blind children refugees from Ukraine

Our dear supporters and friends!

First of all, we’d like to thank you again for your support! Due to your financial support more than 1000 visually challenged children will get an opportunity to read Braille books with tactile pictures, just like their peers.

Kharkiv rehabilitation Center “Pravo Vibora” is happy to inform you that our project “Create Braille Books For 1000 Blind Children (13395)” has already started and we are on the research and development stage.

Over the past three months, we have made a positive change in our project, and we are pleased to inform you about it.

Our main task in April 2013 was to take part in GlobalGiving challenge and compete to win the spot on its platform. It was new for us, unusual and challenging in the beginning, but later in April we managed to deal with the challenge.

Due to constant support of GlobalGiving team, advice and information support, we moved forward.  We attracted all the friends and acquaintance to raise 5000 dollars. We sent more than 1000 fundraising letters and emails to potential donors, posted fundraising campaign on our website and Facebook, Vkontakte, Odnoklassniki, Twitter. We persistently reminded about ourselves and our project. It helped us to find team-mates. We were supported by Indo-Continental Students Committee. On April 29, 2013 students from India organized charitable event, and on April 29, 2013 they conducted parade to support our project. We were supported by parents and friends from Poland, Russia, the Netherlands, Belorusia, U.S.. We got significant financial support from Kharkiv Rotary club.  On International Children's Day, we organized children's crafts auction in support of the project. We got support from the Rehabilitation center for blind children and their parents, "I and My Mother." And the miracle happened! We were able to raise the necessary amount and won the spot on GlobalGiving. Thanks to everyone who supported us!

In May, we closely studied the experience of other countries in the publication of Braille books for children, investigated the characteristics of Braille printers, the technical possibility of producing textured patterns, books published in other countries and Ukraine for blind children. We also interviewed the parents about the need for tactile literature for preschoolers.

We studied the experience of the Braille mini-printing house of Belgorod Regional Library for the Blind. We are delighted that at small resource library staff performed a great job. Unfortunately, the books for the blind preschool children are absent in the library.

In June, we started developing our first book for preschoolers in Ukrainian language "Vegetables" with tactile pictures. There are puzzles, poems and stories about vegetables in this book. We have the Braille book layout and embossed patterns already completed. The feature of the book is that it is accessible for the blind and visually impaired children. The book had its text printed in Braille and Times New Roman font. This book has a universal design and can be used in an inclusive child care.

Since June 29, on the basis of our center there will be an international volunteer project devoted to the production of tactile books for the blind children. The project will involve 20 volunteers from different countries. Within 2 weeks they will produce tactile educational books. On July 10, at the Kharkiv Regional Children's Library there will be an exhibition of tactile books made by volunteers and we will spread the information about the project “Create Braille Books For 1000 Blind Children“ (booklets about fundraising requests to potential donors through television, social radio).

We continue to spread information about the project to raise funds for Braille printer. Currently we are preparing the materials for the exhibition of social projects in Kharkiv, We will make a presentation of our first book on July 15, 2013 at the International School of parental skills.

With your help we are doing our best to help the blind children to read book and to see the pictures!

What do you think?

best Wishes,

Pravo Vibora Team