Rwanda Union of the Blind (RUB)

Sobre nosotros

Rwanda Union of the Blind (RUB) is a local non-governmental organization legally operating in Rwanda since 1995. RUB was created in August 1994 by visually impaired persons themselves and was officially registered in March 1995 to work towards the improvement of the living conditions of persons with visual impairment in Rwanda.

Mission
Since its creation, the only mission of Rwanda Union of the Blind (RUB) has always been to work towards the improvement of the situation of blind people through education and rehabilitation to facilitate meaningful equality and integration.

Vision
A situation where blind people access all rights as all other citizens, receive rehabilitation and education and can be employed as all other citizens.

Our work
RUB’s activities aim at improving the living conditions of persons with visual impairment trough advocacy, promoting the education of children with visual impairment, capacity development of members and rehabilitation program/service.
Currently, RUB has 64 well-established branches in 30 districts with primary beneficiaries being persons with visual impairment and their families. All of RUB branches are administered by visually impaired people and focus mainly on promoting income-generating projects and advocacy at local level.
RUB hope to see education and employment opportunities as well as all other welfare services being as available to those who are visually impaired as they are to all other citizens.
To achieve its mission of improving the living conditions of persons with visual impairment in Rwanda, RUB assist its members to come out of isolation and to improve their economic status by setting up various programs including that of rehabilitation, providing small scale advocacy fund through their local associations to support their advocacy and awareness raising efforts locally.
RUB promotes the rights of people with vision impairment through advocacy assistance, education and outreach work to build the Rwandan society awareness and support for inclusion.

What we do:
• We bring together blind people in a national organization to promote their fundamental rights.
• We raise awareness on needs, potentials and aspirations of persons with visual impairment in Rwanda.
• We promote education and rehabilitation of persons with visual impairment through dialogue with the government and other partners in development.
• We promote prevention of blindness and provision of eye care services through dialogue with relevant authorities and partners.
• We promote the inclusion of persons with visual impairment in sport and cultural activities.

Project:
• RUB established a centre for rehabilitation training located at Masaka sector, Kicukiro District in Kigali city. The centre is called MASAKA Resource Centre for the Blind (MRCB). Blind people are admitted at the centre from all over the country and they receive various forms of training for a period of six month, free of charge. The MRCB is the only centre in the country providing rehabilitation training for adults’ blind people. It provides training in Orientation and Mobility, Activities of Daily living, Braille Literacy, Farming or Agriculture and Animal Husbandry. With these skills, a blind person can comfortably join the mainstream society in a rural setting.

Donatilla Kanimba is the Executive Director of Rwanda Union of the Blind (RUB).

For other net participants we can offer an expert guidance through trained staff, give an expert opinion, procure expert information and establish new contacts in the field of our work.