Our Work

Eight-year-old Yogita is now learning Braille and attends school twice a week. © Katie Cotton/Sightsavers

Eight-year-old Yogita is now learning Braille and attends school twice a week. © Katie Cotton/Sightsavers

Print this Page

Promoting Education

Yogita used to sit in one corner of the room, legs crossed, day after day.

Since the early years of her life, Yogita’s parents used to sit her down in the corner and bring her everything she needed. They feared that their daughter, who was born blind, would hurt herself unless she sat still in the safety of the family home.

Everything changed when Yogita was identified through a survey and brought to the attention of the Dalit Sangh, one of Sightsavers’ partner organizations in North India.

The Dalit Sangh taught Yogita to walk freely around the house and carry out daily tasks such as bathing. These were big steps for Yogita who used to be fully dependent on her parents. If they were not around, she used to wait, all day if necessary, for them to return from work.

Thanks to the support from the Dalit Sangh, eight-year-old Yogita now attends school twice a week and is learning Braille.

“I am so happy for Yogita,” her father whispered. “I’d always wanted so much more for her but never thought it was possible. Now she’s so happy.”

In 2011, Sightsavers helped to train 145,000 village volunteers to identify and help children like Yogita.

It cost €200 to educate a child for one year and just €22 to buy a Braille kit. Donate here.