VISUALLY IMPAIRED SPONSORSHIP AND SUPPORT PROGRAM (VISSP)

THE BEAUTIFUL BEGINNING

In 2006, FOP founders, Steve and Pam Zicker, were approached by a single 8th grade blind student who was facing a problem living on his own and completing his education.  His simple request for help has evolved into the Visually Impaired Sponsorship and Support Program (VISSP) that is managed by both SENEthiopia and ORE. The program has impacted more than 160 students in the past 16 years and has enabled more than 80 visually impaired students to graduate from University or a Teachers College and move to independence.

SPONSOR NOW

WHY THE NEED?

According to NIH, approximately 1.8% of the population (2.1 million people)in Ethiopia is blind and 3.7% (4.4 million people) experience low vision, which approximates nearly 6.5 million people combined out of their population of  120 million people. These individuals suffer with lack of supports, limited opportunities in education, and families are often forced to send children to boarding schools located in a few key cities, hide them at home, or allow them to be exploited for the purpose of begging at churches and in large cities.

FROM BOARDING SCHOOL TO INDEPENDENT LIVING

Our students are referred from the Mekelle Boarding School for the Blind, which educates and houses more than 90 children from age 7 up to 18. When these students are discharged after 8th grade, they are forced to enroll in a local school, rent a small house on their own, and live independently while trying to complete their education. The VISSP program exists to provide students in 9th grade through University the tools needed to complete their education and live independently for years to come.

HOW WE HELP

Through the VISSP, 65 visually impaired students receive monthly social worker follow-up, medical assistance, and have access to other supports through SENEthiopia that empower them in completing their education.  A resource room has been established at ORE equipped with 15 computers supplied with JAWS software and assistive technology devices along with Braille typewriters and Braille printers to enable students to have greater chances of success in school and the community.  When they graduate from high school, their support continues through college graduation, enabling them to move towards self-sufficiency with a solid foundation.


Sponsors in the U.S. are matched with students and provide just $25 per month to fund these programs. Sponsors are able to communicate with their student via an online portal and receive bi-annual reports on the progress of their student.

current blind students without a sponsor

Share by: