The mission of the Kilimanjaro Blind Trust is to improve the lives of blind and visually impaired children in East Africa (Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya) by giving them the tools to improve their literacy which they need to succeed in the classroom, and thereby enabling them to become independent and integral members of their society.
Kilimanjaro Blind Trust’s Mission History
In September 2005, 27 climbers set out on a mission to reach the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Eight of them were blind. Before and after the seven-day expedition, several visits were made to schools and facilities serving the blind children in the Arusha region. The experiences provided first-hand insight into the pressing need for better educational resources for blind and visually impaired children in East Africa. From these visits emerged the concept of a trust to help provide better support for the education of blind and visually impaired children in East Africa, with literacy at its core.
Partnership to Success
At its founding, the Kilimanjaro Blind Trust partnered with Perkins School for the Blind in order to best achieve our mission. Perkins is now our parent organization and provides all of the strategic and operational support to help us best succeed at accomplishing our mission of getting a Perkins Braille machine in the hands of every African blind child. Perkins was founded in 1829 and is the oldest school for the blind in the United States. Their mission is to help children and adults who are blind, visually impaired, deaf blind, and blind with multiple disabilities, reach their greatest possible independence. Perkins offers a range of educational services to over 70,000 individuals in 55 countries worldwide. All Perkins programs are grounded in a belief and respect that recognizes every person as a human being with potential to learn and grow. All they see are possibilities.
For information on international programming click here
For information on activities in Africa click here
For the Perkins-Kilimanjaro website click here