UAE launches AED 220M initiative for visually impaired students in Ethiopia
The UAE government launched an initiative worth AED 220 million to develop schools for visually impaired students across Ethiopia.
This is under the directives of the UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan from the Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation.
Currently, Ethiopia is home to an estimated 1.2 million visually impaired individuals. It has over 332,000 people classified as blind. Moreover, many of them live in rural areas where access to education and healthcare services is extremely limited.
Ethiopia also faces the highest rates of trachoma, an eye disease that impacts underserved communities across the country.
The newly launched program will introduce cutting-edge assistive technologies in schools, specialized curricula, and tailored vocational training programs. This initiative aims to empower Ethiopia's visually impaired population and provide them with the tools and opportunities for a brighter future.
The initiative will be led by the Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation in collaboration with the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. This foundation is an entity of Erth Zayed Philanthropies, which has proven its success with the Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak School for the Blind in 2024.
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