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Angeline qualified as a teacher after attending an integrated school © Georgina Cranston/Sightsavers
Latest news from Kenya
After a very difficult 2008 where the economy only grew by 1.7%, the 2009/10 budget presented in June focuses on initiatives that many feel will benefit the poor. Of relevance to Sightsavers are additional funds for the construction of a health centre and upgrading of two primary schools, the employment of 20 nurses per constituency and 10,500 teachers primary schools nationally. This additional capacity is highly likely to improve health services at community level and offer a better platform for primary eye care.
A social protection fund amounting to Kenyan 300 million shillings (£2.5m) was allocated to benefit the elderly, and people with disabilities. A further £1.7m in interest free loans was allocated to finance business ventures owned by people with disabilities, as well as a tax exemption to those earning up to £1,250 per month. This is likely to influence our rehabilitation work, as we must ensure that people in Sightsavers supported programmes benefit from these initiatives.
Highlights from our projects
- 66 itinerant and contact teachers were trained in Braille and low vision. This will hopefully improve services to children and minimise over-reliance on itinerant services at district level.
- Our partner the Kenya Union of the Blind has successfully produced 16 textbook editions in talking book format, as part of the assistive technology programme. This will boost the accessibility of learning materials among visually impaired students in secondary schools.
- The last phase of the Trachoma Control Programme took place, with a phase mass antibiotic treatment targeting 500,000 people in the Kajiado District.
- Two ophthalmologists were posted to district hospitals in two Sightsavers supported programmes, which is a great improvement given that in the past ophthalmologists have only been rendering services in provincial hospitals.
Achievements
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