Provide White Cane for Blind Children in Cameroon

On the 4^th of February, the delegation of the NDES foundation visited the Bulu Blind Center at 4:40 pm. This project was aimed at providing the children at the Rehabilitation institute for the blind with white canes to improve the quality of their lives. These children go about their daily lives without canes which exposes them to serious risks, injuries and fall, especially during the rainy season. White canes are long canes that help someone with low vision or loss of vision to navigate and avoid obstacles on the road. It is their visual aid that helps identify platform edges, steps and uneven surfaces. Some of these children choose to use a white cane to move around while others use it to let people know about their visual impairment.

 On our arrival at the Center, we met the Rector of the Center and who was also the one representing the director of this Center. We also met the Regional Delegate for Social Affairs. The event started at 4:50 Pm with an opening prayer from one of the kids at the Center. The activities that were carried out during the event was as follows:

v  A welcome song was presented by the kids of the Center, followed by a welcome speech from the Rector of Bulu Blind Center of which he said he is grateful to have us at the center.

v   After his speech, one of the kids at the Center was appointed to present a brief history of the Bulu Blind Center. He said the Center was created in 1967 and at that time, it was headed by the British protestant ministry in 1975 which was later placed under the Ministry of Women and Social Affairs. He went further to say that thanks to the Center, they have learned a lot such as the rearing of table birds and he said the motto of the Center is “Value every Human Being and Treasure every Blind Person”.

v  A speech was later presented by the PRO of the NDES foundation of which he said that it was not the first time the foundation is coming to the Center and he went further to explain the evolution of the foundation and why the NDES Foundation was present at the Center.

v  After the speech from the PRO of the NDES foundation, Regional Delegate for Social Affairs expressed his deepest gratitude to the foundation for what they have been doing. He went further to say that, he has heard of the assistance and the good works the NDES foundationhas been rendering to the Center. He also encourages the kids by telling them that they are not alone and that they should take their studies seriously and live in unity with one another.

v  The next activity was the exhibition of the use of the white cane. One of the kids at the Center came up and exhibited. One of the uses she demonstrated was to know if there is any object or person around. After the exhibition of the use of the white cane, it was then handed over to the Regional Delegate for Social Affairs who immediately handed the cane to the Rector of the center.  At the end of the event, pictures were taken and we left the Bulu Blind Center at 6: p.m.