Support for the Somaliland Braille Teaching Center

The Somaliland Braille Teaching Center (SBC) is the first school ever to be established for the blind and partially sighted community in Somaliland, a small peaceful country at the Horn of Africa that declared independence from Somalia in 1993 after a process of social reconciliation. In 2006, the SBC was founded by the Doses of Hope Foundation, a women-owned NGO. Its goal is to provide blind or visually impaired children and young people with access to schooling and vocational training, thus giving them the opportunity to participate in the social and economic life of Somaliland. To achieve this goal, Doses of Hope pursues a holistic strategy. Thus, in addition to school education, young people are taught the skills to advocate for the interests and basic rights of the blind and visually impaired people and to fight against structural disadvantages.

Unfortunately, the Corona pandemic also hit this school and its students hard. Most of the students‘ families live from small farming and selling their products at the markets. These are now closed due to the restrictions, and many families are losing their already small income. Subsequently, they have no money for food or medicine. 25 students and 53 of their family-members have already died from Covid-19, often there is not even enough money for their funerals.

In concrete terms, 5,000 Euros are urgently needed as quick emergency aid to ensure the families' nutrition and to buy medicine, protection masks and hygiene products.