 AFYA
PROJECT
The Afya project for the blind originated in The
Best Center For The Blind. Even though this project
has such background, the Afya project has objectives on
its own.
AFYA is an independent organization, an NGO, for non-profit,
powered by volunteers, non-political in its core and dedicated
to pursue specified objectives in order to face many challenges.
MAIN OBJECTIVE
 Founded
by Perfect Elias and Deogratius B Mwanry, the Afya Project
is born to help those people who, because of their blindness,
are not accepted by society and are therefore, pushed to
beg in the streets.
Food, shelter, clothing, health care and education are offered
for their children. In this last case, if the children have
access to an education, a window of opportunities will be
in their reach as they will have the skills through education
to face their own future and find a decent job. This chance
will bring the families out of poverty, ignorance and other
problems this community faces on a daily basis.
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES
To
reinforce the capacity of local communities to mitigate
poverty already undertaken by the government (MKUKUTA) and
its objectives....... and the Rights of the Blind and the
Handicapped.
To
cooperate with other communities, CBOs, NGOs, FBO, religious
organizations, local and international social organizations,
and other groups in order to secure the improvement of the
quality of life of its members.
To
create alliances, consult and cooperate with business, institutions
and associations that hold the same objectives as the Afya
in a part-time or full-time fashion.
To
educate the Tanzanian society so they do not repudiate the
blind and so that they are awarded the same rights as the
rest of the citizens.
To
work for public institutions to fulfill their responsibilities
in the development and social integration of this people,
making the necessary tools available to them so they can
take care of themselves and therefore, to carry out a normal
life within the community without having to beg in the streets.
To
increase the self-esteems of the blind so that they regard
themselves as people.
To
educate the blind and the handicapped in HIV-AIDS prevention.
To
teach them skills so they can be self-sufficient and earn
a living in a decent manner.
AFYA is very kind of sports for it reinforces
self-esteem and helps the blind to develop and improve their
physical capability. AFYA is periodically
visited by a group of volunteers that help the blind practice
sports and games.
August 10th is “the day of the handicapped”
in Tanzania. In the city of Arusha, an important event takes
place to celebrate this occasion. Handicapped people from
around the region come to participate in this event. Important
companies and celebrities also come to participate in this
event and use the occasion to show the capabilities of handicapped
Tanzanians.
Nowadays, this project helps from 18 to 20 blind adults,
most of them family father and 6 children.
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ADULT PROGRAM
The
goal of this program is for the government and businesses
to hire blind people as employees.
Afya Project has taught blind people to
make chairs, tables, belts, etc. These items are then put
in the city market. They always work on an order since they
do not have the meanings to finance raw materials. Since
they do have a place to meet, they meet and work at their
private homes.
ACTION
PLAN
To
get items for blind people such as walking sticks,
sunglasses and Braille typewriters.
To
send to school the children of the Afya Project
members.
To
get the necessary financing to open an establishment
where they could sell their products. The shop will
have a small workshop where they will be able to
make their items.
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CHILDREN PROGRAM
There
are 23 schools that have 2 or 3 blind children per classroom
in the region of Arusha. These schools have specialized
teachers to teach blind children. Perfect, one of the Afya
Project founders, has worked to train these teachers throught
the Nafasi Project from TERRES DES SOMME ngo.
Two
goal-ball leagues are organized in Arusha and blind children
from these schools are encouraged to participate.
ACTION
PLAN
To
get the necessary financial assistance to school
those blind children who are at the moment not going
to school.
To
build goal-ball courts in 7 different schools that
school 8 blind children. To support this sport for
it is a great help mainstreaming blind children.
The government has committed itself to give the
necessary land to build these courts once the necessary
funding is met. |
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