LUZ PROGRAM
GET TO KNOW MORE ABOUT OUR PROGRAM
TO WHOM IT IS ADDRESSED?
With this program, people with no vision or with a vision less than 20/400 are assisted in order to enable and/or rehabilitate them, with the purpose of achieving their social, educational and labor inclusion. They are helped to accept their blindness, trained in orientation and mobility, in the use of a cane, in activities of daily living and in the use of the Braille system. Children and young people of school age are supported in their educational inclusion. To this end, teachers and parents are also trained in the necessary techniques. Due to the pandemic, the Luz Program has had to implement the virtual modality in its attention and for this purpose it uses available technological tools that it also makes known to the visually impaired people.
HOW WE DO IT?
Patients who have suffered an important loss of their visual capacity, which cannot be corrected with glasses, treatment or surgery, are first referred the Baja Visión Program, where a specialized team determines whether it is possible to support them so that they can use their visual remainder or if instead they require the attention of the Luz Program for their habilitation and/or rehabilitation.
When they are referred to the Luz Program, they are assisted by Community Promoters, who support them with the necessary habilitation and rehabilitation techniques and help them become familiar with their educational and social environment. The Community Promoters are permanently trained, create adapted didactic material, and share their experiences with the educational and social environment of each one of the visually impaired patients they support.
Thanks to the support of the Christian Blind Mission and of the Fundación Once para América Latina, the Luz Program counts with Braille strips and punches, abacuses, Braille machines, technical drawing material, and many other materials that are used in the attention of the visually impaired people and that are also delivered to the beneficiaries, for their rehabilitation process.
INTER-INSTITUTIONAL COOPERATION AGREEMENTS
PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT OF MANABI
From 2014 to 2019, the Provincial Government of Manabí financed a high percentage of the attention to visually impaired people in a good part of the province of Manabí. In the year 2021, a new agreement was signed that secures the co-financing of this attention from January until October 2022.
MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT OF PORTOVIEJO
From 2017 to 2019, the GAD Municipal de Portoviejo partly financed the attention to visually impaired people in this canton. In the year 2021 a new agreement was signed to, together with the Foundation, co-finance this attention, from March 2021 to February 2022.
ASPECTS THAT ARE CONSIDERED IN THE ATTENTION
- Daily life Activities
- Orientation and Mobility
- Braille and Abacus
- Educational Inclusion
- New Technologies
- Labor insertion through the self-employment model (financing of small businesses).
- Sensitization and training of their environment (family members, teachers and community).
- Elaboration and provision of adapted didactic material
- Citizen Participation Events
HOW WE ACHIEVE
THEIR TOTAL INDEPENDENCE
The Foundation grants credits for small businesses and supervises their operation until the visually impaired person is ready to manage them on his/her own. Prior to granting the loan, the beneficiaries are trained in every necessary aspect to start a business.
These small loans, whose amounts can reach up to $ 500.00, are financed with an annual interest rate of 4%, which does not represent any important benefit for the Foundation, but does allow the visually impaired to become financially educated. In the event of a proven unforeseen circumstance, the Foundation waives the credit granted. Since 1993, the Foundation has financed various enterprises such as farm animal breeding, short cycle crops, sale of food, sale of confectionery, among others.
STATISTICAL DATA
Blind people contacted since 1993
People rehabilitated since 1993
Visits made since 1993
Loans granted to visually impaired people.
COOPERANTS
This program has international support
HELP US TO HELP
Your contribution can improve the living conditions of people with limited economic resources in the province of Manabí. With it and with our contribution, a greater number of people will be able to obtain the following services partially or totally free of charge:
- Ophthalmological treatments or surgeries to prevent blindness
- Lenses for students with and without visual impairment
- Optical aids for people with low vision
- Technical or technological aids for visually impaired students
- Initial investment for visually impaired people with micro-enterprises
We want to thank all those who, with their generosity, have allowed us to continue helping so many people who seek our services and support on a daily basis.
IMAGE GALLERY
