AFUBNEWS
Volume 9 Issue 1 April 2007
In this issue
o Happy Birthday Aunt AFUB o Increasing the participation of Blind and Partially Sighted People in HIV&AIDS programs and bridging the gaps that create their exclusion into such programs o Capacity Development and Developing Capacity in Organizations Of/For Blind and Partially Sighted People in Africa and Many More&&&
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Editorial Happy Birthday Aunt AFUB (By Lucie Uwimana) periscope perspectives Why do we need to be concerned with HIV/AIDS? (By Elly Macha)
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Pg 5 Pg 7 Pg 11 Pg 11
Corporate Partnership with AFUB National pg 12 Member Organizations: A Way Out of LimitedResource World (Writes Kevin Obola) Sharing knowledge and Skills (Insights by Elly Macha) Pg 18
Increasing the participation of Blind and Pg 23 Partially Sighted People in HIV&AIDS programs and bridging the gaps that create their exclusion into such programmes (By Sally Nduta) Announcements and Upcoming Events Quotable Quotes pg 25 pg 26
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EDITORIAL
(By Elly Macha) _TWENTY YEARS OF OVERCOMING DISABLING BARRIERS BY BLIND AND PARTIALLY SIGHTED PERSONS OF AFRICA, AND STRIVING FOR THE CREATION OF ENABLING ENVIRONMENT_ Twenty years have gone by since AFUB_s birth in Tunis Tunisia. Like a growing baby whose parents wait in anxiety to witness her unpredictable destiny, so was the experience of visually impaired people in Africa until our baby moved from her crawling stage and started walking on her two feet. We are now celebrating the twentieth anniversary of our grown up child. Certainly it has not been easy to have our child reach this stage. We have practically found ourselves grouping in the dark in our efforts to overcome many untold challenges. For example: " forming a combined force that that would help African blind and partially sighted people come together to speak in one voice; " Lack of resources that would facilitate our intention for the achievement of our set goals and objectives; " Various diversified cultures in our continent have also been an obstacle over the years; " Capacity building among AFUB members was an issue that needed to be addressed;
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" The rigidity in our governments and the general public in accommodating the rights and needs of visually impaired people. Despite these and other many challenges, AFUB has survived through all weather, justifying celebrations of its birth this year. Our achievements through the twenty years of AFUB_s existence outweigh the challenges posed. For example: " Illiteracy has to some extent been eradicated among visually impaired people through the use and recognition of Braille as our mode of writing and reading; " Some AFUB member countries have managed to influence their governments attend to the rights and needs of visually impaired people through formulating and implementation of policies and programmes that go a long way in supporting them by giving an enabling environment in their work places; " AFUB has enabled a number of its national member organizations and associations address all areas of life like education and training, health care, rehabilitation, employment and political participation; " AFUB national member organizations have come to appreciate one another as brothers and sisters through healthy working relationships established in their organizations; " Visually impaired people have established their own platforms through information sharing which have helped them fight discrimination in unity.
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Our celebrations therefore come very timely as we are not taking anything for granted. It should be on the basis of our unity, which should be stronger now more than ever before. We are Victors in a world of turmoil_s and Tribulations, and we should maintain the spirit of brotherhood and sisterhood in all our various activities. We need to continue supporting and feeling for one another, from the youngest to the oldest member of AFUB. We must not forget what has kept our fire burning for those twenty years of AFUB_s existence. Networking with our partners, locally and internationally, information sharing among ourselves, diligence in carrying out our various roles, advocating and lobbying for our issues with relevant authorities, practicing tolerance and other virtues in dealing with one another, etc. We should work towards achieving greater heights in our development agenda. &&Long live AFUB.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUNT AFUB
(By Lucie Uwimana) This year, 2007, is a special year in AFUB history as it will experience the celebrations of the 20th AFUB_s Anniversary. We, at the AFUB Secretariat, have started the preparations of this memorable event whose launching is expected to take place on 9 May, at Hotel Pan Afric in Nairobi. We are not only washing our clothes with JICK; a special detergent used to get our clothes whiter and whiter as we have to
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shine on that unique day, but also polishing our songs, dances and other activities earmarked for the occasion. Among distinguished guests invited to join us in the celebrations, are dignitaries from our friendly host country, Kenya, all AFUB partners and their respective embassies represented in Nairobi and other local and international wellwishers striving for the betterment of lives of blind and partially sighted in Africa. Since AFUB is affiliated to the African Union, the launching ceremony will be presided over by not other than her Excellency, Madam Gawanas, Commissioner, African Union, Labor and Social Affairs, who will be our Chief Guest. Although we wish that all our members could join us in the celebrations, financial constraints do not allow us but we already salute your presence by sending to AFUB Secretariat your PLEDGES OF ALLEGIANCE to the UNION not later than 5 May 2007. The Pledges will be read out and a cheering gathering will applause for you. Our distinguished guest will be also saluting our cooperation and partnership which elevated AFUB at this high level. On it creation, AFUB had 13 members, but now the house has expanded to accommodate 54 members from 50 African states. This is a great achievement and indeed a reason to celebrate in color. May we celebrate our Silver Jubilee with a strong team comprising of 57 members represented in all 54 African countries. This was just a starter, I will tell you more How the celebrations went on in the next issue. So do not miss it! HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUNT AFUB ONCE MORE!!!
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PERISCOPE
Mali
AFUB in collaboration with the Institutional Development Programme (IDP) organized and conducted a three-day capacity building workshop for Mali Union of the Blind which took place from the 22nd to 24th January 2007. The workshop which was fully funded by IDP delt with Organizational analysis of the Union and analysis of an individual as a good leader. The analysis drawn from the workshop will help AFUB and IDP tailor future programme that will be aimed at strengthening the organisations_ capacity.
Burkina Faso
Separately, from 25th to 27th January 2007, L_Association Burkinabé Pour la Promotion des Aveugles et Malvoyants (ABPAM) benefited from a training workshop funded and conducted by IDP. Topics covered in the workshop include organizational and individualized diagnosis, current organizational/individual situational analysis, diagnosis of the blind persons view towards the society, diagnosis of societies view about blind people. The workshop developed key situational statements, development of organizational advocacy strategies and development of individualized self advocacy strategies.
Mauritania
Mauritania Association of the Blind is currently engaged in a Chalk production project as an income-generating initiative.
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More that 15 blind and partially sighted persons are engaged on this project. 5000 Euros were granted by AFUB Solidarity Trust Fund (ASTF) in 2006 to start this project. It is expected that the project will earn a reasonable profit which will sustain a number of activities of the organization.
Lesotho
From the 10th to 12th of November 2006, Lesotho National League of the Visually Impaired Persons (LNLVIP) with its Youth sub committee held a workshop for the Lesotho Blind Youth. In the workshop, blind youth from 10 districts of Lesotho were trained on the following subjects: Advocacy, Leadership, Drug Abuse, HIV/AIDS and Organizational Building.
Tanzania
Tanzania League of the Blind (TLB) hosted this years AFUB Board of officers meeting which was held from 26th to 28th February 2007 at Kunduchi Beach Hotel and Resort, Dar es Salaam Tanzania. The Board had a total of 21 Agendas to deliberate upon. Key among them were Celebrations of AFUB 20th Anniversary and preparation for AFUB_s 6th General Assembly in 2008. Prior to the Board meeting was a two-day meeting of the AFUB Women_s Steering Group. The main agenda of the women_s Steering Group meeting was to familiarize with the 2007-2009 women project to be supported by the Swedish Association of the Visually Impaired through SHIA. The Steering Group also developed an Action Plan for 2007 with budget allocation on various women activities to be implemented during the year.
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What was remarkable during the presence of the AFUB Board in Tanzania was the dinner invitation to the Board at the State House by the First Lady, Her Excellency, Madam Salma Kikwete in the evening of February 26th. A very delicious food and drinks of all kinds were at the Board_s disposal. Delivering her welcome speech, Madam Salma Kikwete said she was delighted that AFUB Board decided to hold its 2007 meeting in Tanzania. She continued to say that Tanzania government respect and honour people irrespective of their different conditions. She urged AFUB and TLB to intensify their efforts of helping thousands of visually impaired people who live in very remote areas of Africa, without access to education or health care, are in extreme poverty situations. Giving vote of thanks on behalf of the Board for dinner invitation at the State House, AFUB Secretary General, Donatilla Kanimba, expressed sincere gratitude to the first Lady for such a remarkable occasion. She said it was an extra-ordinary feeling by AFUB Officers and Partners because most of them have never been at the State House of their own countries, but here they are enjoying the hospitality of the State House in another country. She concluded by thanking the First Lady for her support to disadvantaged groups especially women.
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Uganda
AFUB in collaboration with its member organizations in Eastern Africa has commissioned a three-year (2007-2009) project known as _Knowledge on Democracy and Development_ for visually impaired youth. Eight countries in Eastern Africa will benefit from the project in a three years period. The project countries are Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania (both Mainland and Zanzibar), Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan & Seychelles. The overall aim of the project is to build the capacity of blind and partially sighted youth in Eastern Africa to enable them actively participate in the organizations of visually impaired at national level in order to contribute to the promotion of the welfare of visually impaired persons and improving their situation in the society. The project is being coordinated by the AFUB Secretariat in collaboration with Uganda National Association of the Blind (UNAB).
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PERSPECTIVES
(By Elly Macha)
Why do we need to be concerned with HIV/AIDS?
It is our responsibility to ensure that our families, our children, our wives, husbands and our communities are protected from HIV/AIDS. This is because HIV/AIDS has had a huge impact on our communities and nations at large. We all know somebody who has died of AIDS or a person within our reach who is living with HIV. So how dare we say this is not our problem? 1. First, HIV/AIDS has killed our husbands, our wives, our children, our sisters, our brothers, our nieces, cousins, our neighbors, our dear friends. Most of them are between the ages of 15-49. This is the most productive age group. AIDS has left villages empty. We are crying. 2. AIDS has left millions of orphans behind. Children with no parents to take care of them. This is the case all over Africa. There are many more effects of HIV/AIDS. Let us openly talks about HIV so that we can save our families, communities and nations from this pandemic. Let us not deny, fear, or stigmatize the issue of HIV/AIDS. It is only through acceptance and taking action that we can save our communities. So talk to your child, your family member, your neighbor and your friend about HIV/AIDS and how we can prevent ourselves from being infected.
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Corporate Partnership with National Member Organizations: A Way Out of Limited-Resource World
(By Obola Kevin) In AFUB News October 2006 Edition, Dr. Elly Macha, the AFUB Executive Director in an article Development Partnerships and Beginning to work Together, pointed out that _it is imperative for individuals, partner organizations, and the partnership as a whole, to openly recognize capacity, contribution, benefits and limitations at all levels, and to actively pursue human and organizational development within the partnership itself._ Due to a mismatch between the supply side and the demand side, that is, NGOs (read national member organizations) and their funding sources, there_s need for national member organizations to focus their efforts on creating and enhancing partnerships with corporate organizations so as to increase their funding base. Corporate organizations are under pressure from the increasing number of CSR conscious consumers to get more involved in corporate philanthropy. As a result, many corporate organizations are increasingly providing funding to NGOs involved in improving the community_s living conditions. National member organizations can tap this resource to improve their funding base. In his keynote speech at a Tokyo conference on June 7_8, 1999, where individuals, primarily from countries in Asia Pacific, had come together to discuss the outcome of case studies undertaken by the Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE) on partnership in Asia Pacific between corporations and non governmental organizations, Yotaro
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Kobayashi, chairman of Fuji-Xerox Corporation and chairman of the Japan Association of Corporate Executives (Keizai Doyukai), noted that profit making is the essential means by which his company tries to achieve its founding objectives, but it is by no means the ultimate objective. Corporations are under pressure from two sides: on the one hand, there is pressure to be more productive and profitable, while on the other hand, there is pressure from the stakeholders to be more viable from a broader societal perspective. Kobayashi emphasized that the balancing of these requirements is part of the critical agenda that a new system of corporate governance should address, and that partnership with national member organizations seems to be an appropriate means to strike this balance. Indeed corporations appear to have started adding a new dimension to their philanthropic activities by developing partnerships with national member organizations rather than merely continuing the traditional pattern of charitable giving thus creating a conducive environment for partnership with national member organizations and other sectors working in the same communities. This has also been exacerbated by a growing recognition by corporations that partnerships with NGOs is instrument in gaining broad public participation in, and support for philanthropic activities. How can member organizations create corporate partnerships that will benefit parties? Improving communication strategies within national member organizations is a sure way to achieve such a Herculean task. Effective and efficient communication strategies can be used to enhance the image and profile of the work of national member organizations with a view to boosting the credibility of their work, raising more funding and generally improving public perceptions.
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Why partner with corporations?
Financial sustainability and funding diversification for projects As we have mentioned previously, national member organizations are under increasing pressure to diversify their sources of funding. Partnerships provide a source of funding independent of government funding. One of the major problems for national member organizations in acquiring private funding is that they usually lack direct contacts in the corporate world that would be a basis for potential donations. A partnership based on personal relations between national member organizations staff and corporate executives could help solve this problem. But partnerships entail more than a simple donation from a company. Actually engaging with companies is recognition of the fact that _business can bring economic benefits to poor communities by creating jobs and transferring technology._ This approach is taken by those in the national member organizations community who consider both business and the non-profit sector as necessary for tackling issues of poverty. They see both sides as having valuable and complementary assets: the private sector is instrumental in creating employment and economic growth and therefore has a direct impact on the lives of the poor; but national member organizations have expertise in working to strengthen blind and/or partially sighted communities to ensure that the poorest benefit from this growth. Alleviating poverty requires both collaboration and coordination from both sectors. The increasing attention being given by national member organizations to partnership with corporations is based, in the first instance, on an interest in capital mobilization either in the form of cash or gifts-in-kind. Corporate support has
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become important for national member organizations in part because of the lack of or insufficient public funding. It should be noted, however, that national member organizations also seek corporate financial contributions for strategic reasons, since having multiple sources of funding helps them to avoid the over-dependence on donor funding which at times is pegged with non-beneficial conditional ties. Access to free marketing Such partnerships also present an opportunity for national member organizations to make their voices heard and to publicize their activities through the marketing of a collaborating company. Since corporations invest heavily in publicizing their involvement in social causes, national member organizations in essence can get _free_ advertising through what is referred to as _social marketing_ on the part of corporations that simultaneously enhance their brand image. Second, the business sector is regarded as a valuable partner from the national member organizations perspective because it can offer unique contributions to the resolution of social problems, including research and development expertise, distribution services, outreach, and marketing support. Marketing skills, for example, are important for national member organizations since many of them provide services to blind and/or partially sighted citizens or earn income from their products and services. National member organizations badly need certain management skills, such as financial management, information technology, and strategic planning, which are essential to building a stronger institutional infrastructure. Strategic partnership with corporations provides national member organizations with access to skills and training that they would otherwise not be able to afford. Such transfer of valuable human resources from corporations to national
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member organizations is even more effective through corporate volunteer activities and secondment of corporate staff. Bankers Trust_s local staff in the Philippines helped villagers with business plans and provided technical assistance that allowed local NGOs to build new roads and other infrastructure on their own. Third, corporations bring to the partnership a sense of accountability and a hard-nosed, result-oriented attitude that is lacking in some national member organizations. Fourth, corporations can support their national member organizations partners by utilizing their political influence. (I will include information on national member organizations with proven success on corporate- national member organizations partnership) Company reputation is becoming more and more important to both investors and consumers. _A company_s impact on its stakeholders is an emerging benchmark of corporate performance since stakeholders are beginning to ask what companies can do for society, not what society can do for companies._ So in the public eye, national member organizations are more trustworthy than corporations in terms of benefiting the blind and partially sighted society. A company that partners with a national member organization can hope to be seen as trustworthy and be more credible in its attempts at CSR through this association. For a corporation, it is judicious to develop the public impression of a socially responsible business [because] most consumers do not trust business claims [but] nevertheless, believe what NGOs tell them. Some companies trying to boost their public image have seen backlash from groups that consider their efforts to be merely superficial and without any substance. Engaging in
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an actual partnership brings to a company_s reputation a credible sense of commitment to social responsibility. Business PR motivations are tied to economic incentives for companies to maintain interest in national member organizations. The potential for raising profits through _cause related marketing is great, especially with increasing consumer education. Because corporate image has become more important in retaining a competitive edge, is not enough for a company to appear to be doing the right thing anymore. The fact that a company chooses to form a partnership with a national member organization entails a higher degree of commitment than unilateral forms of community involvement. National member organizations can also facilitate a corporation_s approach to local consumption and production markets. Knowledge and better understanding of market needs are some of the benefits of working with national member organizations that possess valuable knowledge about onsite conditions. Better CSR policy as part of a corporate strategy Partnerships can play a role in enhancing the quality of a company_s CSR policies. _It can be argued that corporations are the only organizations with the resources, the global reach [&] and the motivation to achieve sustainability, but at the same time there are political and social issues that exceed the mandate and capabilities of any corporation. There_s need for business to think in terms of collaboration and include other non-business organizations in partnerships. Corporations have been switching their CSR focus from charitable donations to actually becoming involved in community activities. Many companies have found that such involvement is best undertaken through working with local NGOs (national member organizations). (The writer is a friend of AFUB and a communication graduate from Maseno University in Kenya)
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SHARING KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS
CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT AND DEVELOPING CAPACITY IN ORGANISATIONS OF/FOR BLIND AND PARTIALLY SIGHTED PEOPLE IN AFRICA (Insights by Dr. Elly Macha) "Capacity" is about every thing& For example, the capacity to: " Analyze a problem " Use your energy thoughtfully " Write report " Use resources well " Deal with conflict " Manage people, money, and time " Form a relationship " Conceptualize a framework " Develop a coherent policy " Imagine a future " Find a piece of information " Organize a conference " Facilitate a process " Learn from experience to mention just a few. Capacity building and development process can apply at any number of levels: Societal, organizational, individual and global. The term "capacity development" takes its place in the lexicon of development jargon alongside with
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"empowerment", "participation" and gender relations", to mention just a few. What is capacity? The oxford Dictionary defines capacity as: "fully occupying the available space, resources", "faculty or talent". Synonyms include ability, capability, faculty and power. These words sound very well, but what different forms of capacity are there? I offer two quick ideas on what forms capacity might take: 1. Simply put, I propose two elements of capacity: " Resources (what we have) " Capabilities (what we are able to do with what we have) Resources can be physical or tangible and include money, people, land or building, equipment and materials. Or they can be intangible, but extremely important to draw upon, such as experience, ideas, contacts, time and energy. A section framework gives some "shape" to the general term "capacity". One model encompasses three broad capacity areas: " Conceptual " Social " Technical The conceptual area relates to the extent to which people in organizations work with knowledge, ideas and information, and their capabilities to forecast, compare, synthesize, organize and plan. These capacities are translated in organizational life, into: " Identifying how the external environment, as it changes, impacts on the organization and on how it might need to change; " Developing the organization_s vision and mission;
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" Creatively managing in a turbulent an d changing environment; and " Developing appropriate policies. The social relates to: " How effectively relationships are built, maintained and managed (within the organization and with external allies and antagonists); " How well people in organizations are developed to realize their potential and be effective in their work; " People's capacity for negotiating, managing conflict, dealing with emotive issues and with feelings; and " Balancing personal and "professional" interests. The Technical incorporates a wide range of capacities in what one might call the "how to" terrain. These might include: " How to set up systems (such as systems for finances, communication and administration); and " How to design, plan and implement activities (such as find/collect, store and distribute information, organize work plans, use technology and keep record system). Organizations are made up of people. It is what people bring to an organization, in these three key areas, and how their capacities are translated into strategies and action, that results in the organization_s level of effectiveness. The image above can be extended to differentiate between other forms of capacity needed in organizations, in particular: " Organizational " Informational " Economic Each of these can be seen as having conceptual, social and technical relevance. Organizational capacity includes the ability to:
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" Mobilize, organize and establish groups, teams and organizations which work towards a common purpose; and " Maintain and develop the organization to re-position and respond to changing conditions. The informational is also critical and includes the ability to: " Recognize what information we need and to find it, share it, use it (not abuse it), store it and find it again when we need it; " Select the right information; " Avoid building "data graveyards", and " Use information to make decisions. The economic is fundamentally about money. Do we need it or not? If we do, how do we: " Raise it? " Allocate it against objectives? " Manage it accountably? " Account for it? What is capacity building? To "build" assumes we are starting from the ground up; there are a set of steps we should take to reach the point where there is "enough" to do what we believe is needed. The important point here is that building capacity is purposeful and there is a reason for doing it. What is capacity development? I suggest that the notion of capacity development assumes that there is some appropriate "capacity" but, in order to tackle future unknowns and constant change, the capacity of people and the capacity in organizations needs to be consistently and thoughtfully developed in order to meet the goals of the organization more effectively. Consequently, capacity development is real issue. Most people and organizations have capacity. It is a question of
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how existing capacity is further develop to tackle more complex future challenges. Some characteristics of capacity development: It is purposeful - the development of capacity is linked to some desired future situation. It is a process, not an event. It takes time, especially if we look beyond technical capacity. It takes will and energy. What capacity development is not. It is not a separate activity - rather it is an integral part of the work and life of an organization. It is not training! Training is only one valuable way of developing capacity. It is not only about the financial sustainability of the organization but it is much more! Capacity development is a conscious, purposeful, chosen and long- term process to deepen and extend the current capacity in, and of an organization. Capacity development is the provision or acquisition of the appropriate resource, knowledge, skills and orientation to do (or do better), what one is trying to do. Some considerations for more effective capacity development in our organizations: " See and address the whole system (organization) and the relationships between the elements. " View the organization in its context. Capacity is needed both to develop a functional organization and to develop an appropriate and effective programme in the society.
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" Do an assessment of what you have now. You need to start with "what is available", and what is working. " Although money is needed in capacity building and capacity development, don_t focus on money - focus on people. " People in the organization must want the change that calls for new capacity and be willing to develop new capacities themselves - real organizational change often requires personal change. " Work out what capabilities are needed to achieve the objectives and goals of the organization and design capacity building and development on this basis. " People in the organization must take ownership of the process of developing capacity in them, the capacity of others and that of the organization as a whole.
INCREASING THE PARTICIPATION OF BLIND AND PARTIALLY SIGHTED PEOPLE IN HIV&AIDS PROGRAMS AND BRIDGING THE GAPS THAT CREATE THEIR EXCLUSION INTO SUCH PROGRAMS
(By Sally Nduta) This is an account of the progress made by AFUB and her six member associations (ANAC, GAB, KUB, MUB, RUB, and TLB) towards increasing the inclusion and participation of blind and partially sighted people into HIV&AIDS programs. The second year of this project began in October 2006. The countries that are implementing the project this year include Tanzania, Rwanda and Ghana. The training workshop in
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Ghana took place on 19th- 23rd February 2007. 20 visually impaired participants (12 women and 8 men) were trained to become Peer Educators. In Ghana two Peer Educators have got an opportunity to do some in-service training in a Voluntary Counseling and Testing Centre. Currently the 20 are conducting grassroots training in their communities. A National Lobby Committee has been formed. The first meeting was held on 26th February 2007. This committee will bring forward, address the issues affecting visually impaired people in Ghana. The training workshop in Rwanda took place on 16th to 20th April 2007. A total of 21 visually impaired participants (12 women and 9 men) took part. One important highlight about this workshop is that 2 participants were HIV positive. One lady and one gentleman. They declared this freely to the rest of the group as they were introducing themselves and giving their personal expectations. Also at the end of the training 17 participants willingly and voluntarily tested for HIV. The visually impaired lady shared her experience as visually impaired person and also living positively with HIV. She said how she got infected by her husband who later died in 1989. She lived for a long time without actually knowing her status until 1999 when she went for an HIV test. She began taking Anti-Retroviral Therapy in 2004. She says _At first doctors had refused to give me Anti-retroviral medicine. They said that because I was blind I would not know when and how to take them_. She said that despite there being associations of people living positively with HIV, she still faces discrimination from sighted people living with HIV. Participants are currently embarking on grassroots training in their communities. One of the major highlights this year on Disability and HIV/AIDS is the launch of the Africa Campaign on Disability and HIV&AIDS in Cape Town South Africa, spearheaded by
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African Decade of Disabled Persons and Handicap International. AFUB participated in this strategic meeting where an official Communications Policy for this campaign was drafted and the Campaign 2007-2011 Strategic plan discussed. In addition, AFUB made her contributions to the discussions on the issues around equal access and participation of visually impaired people into HIV&AIDS programs. This campaign provides a wider forum for AFUB and like-minded partners to present and address the challenges that affect visually impaired people with regards to access and participation into HIV&AIDS programs. I am proud to note that the AFUB Executive Director, Dr. Elly Macha was selected to be a member of the Campaign interim Steering Committee. This committee will provide leadership and support to the Campaign_s goals and objectives. We call upon all visually impaired people through their associations to join together as one voice as we work towards the achievement of equal access and full participation of visually impaired people into HIV&AIDS programs.
ANNOUNCEMENTS AND UPCOMING EVENTS
" The IDP 4th Africa Forum will take place from 7th-10th May 2007 at the Panafric Hotel Nairobi Kenya&The Forum_s theme is _Towards Inclusion_ . Over 300 representatives from organizations and partners working in the field of blindness are expected to participate at the Forum- Come One- Come All!
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Leadership Seminars will be held from June to October in the following AFUB National Member Organizations: o Liberia National Association of the Blind (LNAB) o DRC Congo Union of the Blind o Botswana Association of the blind and partially Sighted o Tunisia Union of the Blind Training seminars on Leadership, Advocacy and Lobbying, Participation in the activities of the African Decade of Disabled Persons by Women_s Committees will be held from May to December 2007 in the following AFUB National Member Organizations: " South African National Council for the Blind (SANCB) " Uganda National Association of the Blind (UNAB) " Benin Association of the Blind o Namibia Federation of the visually Impaired
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Ï A one-day meeting of AFUB Table Officers will take place on the 11th of May 2007, at Panafric Hotel in Nairobi.
QUOTABLE QUOTES
_I do not fear computers. I fear the lack of them._ Isaac Asmilov _Good manners will open doors that the best education cannot_ Clarence Thomas _Everything has beauty but not everyone sees it._ Confucius _Love looks through a telescope: envy through a Microscope._ Josh Billings
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