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Peace Center for the Blind
Middle East & North Africa
Peace Center for the Blind
Project Coordinator:
Lydia Mansour
Project Overview:
Peace Center for the Blind (Jerusalem, ISRAEL) has been a Project Partner of IPM for thirteen years. The center continues to be successful in its promotion of self-sufficiency for visually impaired members of the community and with each year, there are new faces at the center. The program offers academic and vocational training for blind women in the area, many of whom are living below the poverty level. Many of the women are able to earn the equivalent of their high school diploma, and courses are offered in Arabic, Braille and English. They also learn essential life skills such s mobility, cooking, personal hygiene, nutrition, and first-aid. Another important aspect of the Center is that participants have the opportunity to learn marketable vocational skills such as hand and machine knitting, crochet, loom weaving and craft making.
Recent Accomplishments:
• The center was able to establish the food production unit which allowed members to learn, work, and earn income from selling seasonal food products.
• The center as able to provide training to 9 sighted community members at the Peace Center salon, some of whom have stayed to work at the center, while others have gained the experience to work at other salons.
Number of People Directly Served by Project:
25
Number of People Indirectly Served by Project:
300
Goals for 2008:
The center is in the process of finding a larger space within the neighborhood, which will accommodate the classes, workshops, offices and salon in the same building. They have found a place and are negotiating the rent price of the structure. The center anticipates that they will be relocated by the end of July 2008.
IPM Funding Goal for 2008:
$6,500
Community Impact:
Through the support to schools, a child who had no financial support to be able to purchase his school uniform sweater. He was able to enjoy receiving it along with many of his friends from the Peaceful giving program, in which the center finds the financial support to make these garments and donate them to school children.
How your donation may be put to use:
$125 provides one week of transportation for women participating in the center’s programs