Lomé Centre for the Blind (CESA)

Togo, West Africa 

 

CESA is the acronym for the official French name of the school:
“Centre d’Enseignement Specialise pour Aveugles”. 

 

Mission

 To share the Gospel with and empower those who are visually impaired so that they can lead productive and dignified lives.

Challenges 

 Togo is one of the poorest countries in Africa. Most of the population lives below the poverty line and struggle by on just a few dollars per day. There is little access to electricity, basic healthcare, and education. 

Life for the Blind 

 Those who are visually impaired struggle even more. The cultural stigma is extremely negative. They are considered cursed and are seen as a disgraceful family burden. There are no specialized government schools and government support is minimal, so institutions like the Lomé Centre for the Blind are crucial to provide basic literacy, life skills and vocational training. Visually impaired children often come from poorer families who have no incentive or financial resources to invest in training. Without aid, these children often fall into even greater poverty, dependence, and abusive situations. 

What the Centre does

The Lomé Centre for the Blind is a Christian non-profit institution which provides education and vocational training for the visually impaired by: 

  • Enabling students to become fully participating citizens.

    • Read and write Braille

    • Mobility using white cane

    • Computer text-to-speech software

  • Advocating for the visually impaired.

  • Sharing the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ. 

  • Integrating students back into the regular school system.

  • Providing vocational training in areas such as teaching, social work, physiotherapy, and tradecraft. 

History 

 William Doulome is a former student of the Village of Light, which was the first ever school for the Blind in Togo and located outside of the city. Seeing a desperate need inside city limits, Doulome and other blind Christian friends established the Lomé Centre for the Blind in 1993. This new Centre differs from the Village of Light in a fundamental way: it is a mission training centre and focuses heavily on sharing the life-saving Gospel of Jesus! 

CRWRF Project 

 For the next two years, CRWRF will be supporting staff salaries, educational costs, transportation for students, and capital equipment (such as Braille machines). We are also actively looking for monthly sponsors for students. 

Sponsorship

 Help a student at the Lomé Centre for the Blind! Become a monthly sponsor. 

 

Prayer Requests

The country of Togo and the area of Lomé, as it is one of the poorest countries in Africa.

The students at the Centre, as they learn how to be productive kingdom citizens.

The vocational training program, so that students can integrate into society.

The staff who are serving the students, many of whom are visually impaired themselves.

The partnership between CRWRF and Lomé Centre for the Blind.

Photo Gallery