Devam who lives in Kolkatta, India, lost his sight at the age of five. Having developed some problems with his eyes, his grandmother unwittingly applied a native remedy which resulted in total blindness for the rest of his life. Eventually Devam grew up and got married to a sighted lady and they had five children. He was happy enough and all seemed well until some years later when his wife and children left him saying he was a burden to them.
Left feeling lonely and bereft, Devam didn't know where to turn until one day his path crossed with that of a worker from Mission to the Blind (MTB).
.jpg)
Now Devam is receiving help from MTB in the same way that so many other visually impaired men, women and children are in various parts of India. Each contact is followed up regularly with visits from field workers and they are invited to special meetings and summer camps. Many are helped into education and learn braille while others are given vocational training in various skills to improve their job opportunities. Some are encouraged to set up their own micro-enterprise through one of the MTB self-employment schemes, such as selling water, weighing people, operating a telephone booth, street vending, cane-work, sewing, etc. Guidance is also given, in a Christian context, on lifestyle issues such as family, health, finance and dealing with the acceptance of their own visual impairment; as well as matters concerning the practicalities of daily living.
There are a magnitude of visually impaired people around the world and the .jpg)
term applies to varying degrees of impairment, but we estimate there are somewhere in the region of 45 million people classed as 'totally blind' and approximately 25% of these people live in India. Mission to the Blind are only one example of several partner groups that work in various parts of India bringing hope, independence and self-esteem into the lives of visually impaired people. Devam's story hasn't finished yet but he is on the way to having his disadvantaged life changed forever - his despair being replaced by love, hope and opportunity.
Compass Braille, in partnership with the United Bible Societies and indigenous groups working around the world among visually impaired people, transcribe and produce Bibles and other Christian literature in braille and giant print in 38 languages for use within the programmes of these indigenous groups.
Written by G A Dowling, Compass Braille
