USAID partners with Lions Clubs of Macedonia to Improve Educational Opportunities for Children with Visual Impairments

The goal of this 30-month initiative, implemented by SEEU and co-funded by USAID and Lions Club Macedonia (LCM) through the Lions Club International Foundation (LCIF), is to increase the quality and accessibility of educational services for children with visual impairments, with a particular focus on literacy.

“This obliges us to compare our smallness when a giant organization such as USAID--this brilliant work of the American people and the US government--is with you when you feel less powerful and extends a hand when you have need”, said the Rector of SEEU Prof. Dr. Zamir Dika.

"Access to a quality education is a universal human right. Currently, less than one percent of visually impaired Macedonian children are able to read braille [a writing system which enables blind and partially sighted people to read and write through touch]. And for those who can, the scope of braille texts available is still remarkably narrow. How can these children learn if they cannot read? How can they learn to read without books?” said USAID Mission Director James Stein.

Within this activity the Ministry of Education and Science and South East European University signed a Memorandum of Cooperation for the implementation of the Project 'Children With Visual Impairments.'

“The aim of this Memorandum is to increase the quality and accessibility of education services for children with visual impairments, with a particular focus on literacy, by publishing textbooks in Braille”, said the Minister of Education and Science, Abdilaqim Ademi.

Christie Vilsack, the USAID Senior Advisor for International Education, and LCIF President Joe Preston were both in Macedonia for the event. LCM District Governor Dragi Filevski, and project manager Shpëtim Latifi also made brief remarks.

USAID and Lions Club International are each providing $250,000. Several other organizations will be involved in the work of the project, including the Ministry of Education, the Union of Blind Persons of Macedonia, and the school for children with visual impairments "Dimitar Vlahov" in Skopje.