Their World UK project ( quality Education for the Low Vision Students.

Summary

Therworld UK low vision project is about conducting functional and clinical test of visually impaired children at the six integrated schools with visually impaired children at the Bagmati provinces. The main purpose of this project is to maximize their visual strength through clinical and functional intervention and supply of low vision optical and not-non-optical devices which could ultimately aid in improving their reading and writing efficiency in ink or ensuring their shift from compulsory braille script to print script. The overall goal is to promote quality education and independence of low vision children for their dignified living.

Report date:   24^th Feb. 2025

Grant ref no: 2024/NAWB

A.        Organizational contact information.

Organization name: Nepal Association for the Welfare of the Blind

Organizational Contact/mailing address: Tripureswor-11, Kathmandu Metropolitan city, Bagmati province, P O Box 3255, Nepal

Telephone number: 00977-1-5360583

Amount awarded:  9885 GBT

Funding period of this grant: 1^st August 2024 to 31^st July 2025

Period that this report covers: 1^st August, 2024-28^th Feb, 2025

Website: www.nawbnepal.org.np

Contact person: Mr Pawan Ghimire  General Secretary Mobile no: 00977-9851140968  &  Mr. Ratnakaji Dongol/ Project coordinator Mobile no: 00977-9841490922 E-mail: nawbnepal@gmail.com

Signature of director or other authorizing official

Mr. Pawan Ghimire

General-Secretary

B.        Report Narrative (maximum of four (4) pages)

What progress have you made toward achieving the results you described in your proposal during this period?

Ans: This ongoing project is about conducting functional and clinical test of visually impaired children at the six integrated schools with visually impaired children at the Bagmati provinces. The main purpose of this project is to maximize  their visual strength through clinical and functional intervention and supply of  low vision optical and not-non-optical devices which could ultimately aid in improving their reading and writing efficiency in ink or ensuring their shift from compulsory braille script to print script. The overall goal is to promote quality education and independency of low vision children for their dignified living. In order to achieve the intended result, in the first six month of the project [1^{stAugustt, 2024-28th} Feb. 2025], NAWB in collaboration with Nepal eye Hospital, Tripureswor conducted functional and clinical test of 124 children with visual impairments at Kalinchowk Higher Secondary School, Dolokha, Namuna Machindra High School, Lalitpur, Prithivi High School, Kathmandu, Baljyoti High School Makwanpur, Sanjivani High School Kavre palanchowk and Janajagriti Higher Secondary School, Dhading. Out of the total 106 visually impaired students screened, 52 were identified as the low vision whose visual strength can be maximized through clinical and functional intervention. During The intervention program, team of  NAWB along with the Ophthalmologist and Optometric of Nepal Eye Hospital, Kathmandu visited the respective schools to examine the visual status of each students. Those students who re-identified have some vision in their eyes were subjected to functional test with the help of eye glasses, magnifying glasses, telescope, typoscope, bold copies, markers, reading stands, hat and made to read and write in ink. They were also made to walk and identify the objects with and without using the visual aid devices. Students found to be benefitting from the devices were given both optical and non-optical low vision devices instantly and those needing further clinical tests were referred to the nearby hospital for further examination. This project also covered the travel and examination cost ofall the low vision students referred to the Hospital for clinical test. During the screening process, those totally blind students were also provided with some eye medicine to correct the cases of eye dryness and infection.

Similarly, in the fifth month of the project period, Mr. Pawan Ghimire – the General Secretary of NAWB accompanied by project Coordinator Ratna kaji Dongol paid a first monitoring visit to explore the benefit / progress of each individual student after receiving functional and clinical intervention. During the visit, each students were made to read and write using the low vision devices, walk and identify the object with and without using the devices. The shifting change from Braille to ink and fluency in reading and  writing in print had  been recorded through direct observation, focus group discussion, interview with the students and interaction with teachers and other general peers in the schools. The findings of the monitoring visit area attached along with this narrative report.

What evidence do you have to demonstrate your success? If you did not achieve your intended results, please explain why. 

Ans: The following data mentioned in the table and the outcomes mentioned subsequently stands as evidences of successful evidences of the project;

S.N.	Names of schools	Total number of screened	Total number of low vision students with correctable vision identified	Types of low vision devices supported	Number of low vision children referred for clinical intervention
1	NamunaMachindra High School, LagankhelLalitpur	35 Persons	09 Perons	Eye glasses, magnifying glasses, focus torch,  book stand, bold copies typoscope, cap	4 Persons
2	Prithivi Narayan High School,Tarkeswor, Kathmandu	25	11	Eye glasses, magnifying glasses, focus torch,  book stand, bold copies typoscope, cap	6
3	Kalinchowk High School, Dolokha	10	4	Eye glasses, magnifying glasses, focus torch,  book stand, bold copies typoscope, cap	2
4	Baljyoti High School, Makwanpur	13	4	Eye glasses, magnifying glasses, focus torch,  book stand, bold copies typoscope, cap	3
5	Sanjivini High School, Kavrepalanchowk	24	10	Eye glasses, magnifying glasses, focus torch,  book stand, bold copies typoscope, cap	4
6	Janajagriti High School, Dhading	23	9	Eye glasses, magnifying glasses, focus torch,  book stand, bold copies typoscope, cap	4
	Total	130	46		23

Types of items distributed and number of recipient students;

Names of low vision devices	No. of students benefitting	Remarks
Eye glass	38 Pcs.	For Low Vision
Magnifying glasses	35 Pcs.	”                ”
Telescope	2 Pcs.	”                ”
Reading & writing  stand	30 Pcs.	”                ”
Focus torch	12 Pcs.	”                ”
Bold Necopies for writing practice Nepali, English and Math	46 Pcs.	”                ”
Cap for head and light protection	105 Pcs.	Blind and Low vision
Typos cope	18 Pcs.	”                ”
bold markers	35 Pcs.	”                ”

Clinical interventions;

Nature of clinical interventions	Number of students benefitting	Names of institutions providing services
General eye check –up	130	Nepal Eye Hospital
Cataract or other minor surgeries	23	Nepal Eye hospital as well as school near eye  health clinics
Eye therapy	12	Nepal Eye hospital
Counseling	52	NAWB
Update Low vision Resource Center	32	NAWB

Outcomes of the project:

1. Those low vision students who have been reading in Braille have now started to read the printed letters and write in ink with the help of low vision optical and non-optical devices and clinical intervention. Out of the total low vision students receiving the intervention services, 25 have started to learn to read the printed letters and write in ink using pen and board markers.
2. There has been improvement in reading and writing efficiency of the students with the help of low vision optical and non-optical devices. 25 students use the devices while reading the printed letters.
3. There has been improved confidence and satisfaction amongst the studentswith the increase in their visual strength.
4. Students are now found to be walking and performing their daily chores independently.
5. The optical low vision devices have helped to read the contents written in the blackboard of the classroom and identify the distance objects easily.
6. There has been correction in the body posture specially the neck and the head as the low vision devices including the books stand refrained themselves from reading the books from a very closer distance bending their head and neck to the maximum possibility.

Describe the main activities you’ve started, continued or finished during this reporting period

As mentioned above, following activities have been accomplished or continued during the first six months of the project period;

1. Clinical and functional test of the visually impaired students-Accomplished
2. Distribution of the optical and non-optical low vision devices- Accomplished
3. 1^st monitoring visit by the board of CAB-accomplished

National Low Vision Resource Centre upgrade- to be accomplished in the 2^nd half of the project period

• Interaction with the parents and teachers of the low vision students regarding use and protection of the low vision devices-To be accomplished in the 2^nd half of the project period.

Please detail the areas where Theirworld funds have been allocated to support your charity.

Ans: The Theirworld funds have been allocated to support our charitable works in the following areas;

• Functional visual strength test of low vision students at the integrated schools at Bagmati provinces
• Clinical intervention/test of visual strength of low vision students.
• Distribution of low vision/ visual assistive devices to the low vision students.
• Training on uses of  optical and non optical devices.
• National Low Vision  Resource Centre upgrade
• Follow-up/ interaction with parents and teachers of low vision students
• Monitoring of the project locations by the board of NAWB

Outline the steps you have taken in the grant period to ensure the benefits of your project have a lasting impact after the funding from Theirworld ends.

Ans: In order to ensure the benefits of the project have a lasting impact amongst the targeted low vision students, NAWB will be paying continuous visit and follow-up to the project site, interact with students and teachers to track out the impact of the devices in maximizing their academic proficiency’s optical devices are fragile and breakable even with a small hit, they will be counseled the students to handle these devices carefully.  The items damaged or loss will either be replaced or repaired upon the recommendation of the concerned authorities. Considering the fact that the visual strength of many low vision children does not remain constant for longer duration, NAWB  will give continuity to functional and clinical test and recommend the items on the basis of their visual strength. Continue advice to their parents, the system of keeping the record of each individual low vision students will be enabling NAWB to determine the actual visual status of the low vision students now and then and plan accordingly.