Establishing a Centre for the Visually Impaired in the Gaza Strip

Palestine

This project aimed at enhancing access of visually impaired children in Gaza to quality social and health services. The project entailed the construction of a three floors service building for the visually impaired in Al Zahra city, each floor having a size of 200 m2. The constructed building encompasses a kindergarten with four classrooms, three rooms for rehabilitation programmes, one room for optometry, a library, multi-purpose training halls, a laboratory and administrative rooms. Within the implemented service building, the Eye Society for Visually Impaired Rehabilitation and Prevention of Blindness (VIRPB) NGO will serve 400 children who are currently receiving the services in the previously rented premises. The land lot was donated by the land authority. The project exceeded its initial targets, and three floors with a total area of 502 m2 were completed. The project was handed over to the "Eye Society for Visually Impaired Rehabilitation and Prevention of Blindness", a leading NGO in providing specialized services and care. The activities also included landscaping works including the construction of ramps, pathways and external lighting; boundary wall works; a PV system with 10 KwP capacity was installed and operational; 4 Braille printers were procured and supplied to the association; and drinking fountains including water tanks for potable water were supplied and installed. The project is already operational and serves the target beneficiary group, since all existing cases and operations were transferred from the old premises to the new facility.