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<p class="ydp45e8b8a4yiv5178251278msonormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A">Hello Colleagues,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="ydp45e8b8a4yiv5178251278msonormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="ydp45e8b8a4yiv5178251278msonormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A">Our friend and colleague Kassahun is visiting Ethiopia in November and wants to gather donations of materials to help blind children
get an education and increase their independence. Please find below his request.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="ydp45e8b8a4yiv5178251278msonormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="ydp45e8b8a4yiv5178251278msonormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A">I am happy to discuss this at our Thursday meeting. I hope someone will step up to the plate to coordinate this important effort.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="ydp45e8b8a4yiv5178251278msonormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="ydp45e8b8a4yiv5178251278msonormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A">See below for Kassahun’s important request.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="ydp45e8b8a4yiv5178251278msonormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="ydp45e8b8a4yiv5178251278msonormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A">John<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="ydp45e8b8a4yiv5178251278msonormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="ydp45e8b8a4yiv5178251278msonormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A">The blind in Africa have severe problems in education, employment, orientation and mobility, and so on. The situation in Ethiopia is
not any better. During my service years as president both of the National Association of the blind and the national federation of the disabled in that country, I was able to learn the challenge the blind face especially in education and employment. Fortunately,
if you get some degree in some field, (at least for the time being) you get a job. Yet, the learning process is rocky particularly for blind children. Out of millions of blind children, Only Less than 3 percent of them have access to education. Even those
who managed to get to school under any hardship, lack the basic educational materials like slate, styluses, white canes, braille paper etc. Most of them (especially those in the rural part of the country) simply sit in class and learn by memory. They don’t
have slate and styluses to write with, no Braille textbooks to read; the computer is unthinkable. I visited some schools where some devoted teachers tried to make stylists from a piece of wood; however, Since the slate is a bit more complicated, having the
stylist has no use. So, my long-term plan is to discuss the problem with my American blind friends here and coordinate some private volunteer support for those blind kids through the national Organization.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="ydp45e8b8a4yiv5178251278msonormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A">I know there are so many Blind individuals here who would like to assist in any way possible. If conditions permit, we may even organize
a site visit in which some blind American will visit the real situation of the blind in Ethiopia. That requires much planning and coordination and therefore, needs some additional planning time. In the meantime, since I am going to Ethiopia the first week
of November 2019, it just came to my mind if I can collect a few items like slate and styluses, used white canes, and some other small devices at least to aid a few blind students. I can’t manage a big package, but small items at least would be greatly appreciated.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="ydp45e8b8a4yiv5178251278msonormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A">But if, on the other hand, we can get many blind friends to help, and the package becomes beyond my individual capacity, I can talk
to the association and even the government so that they can coordinate to receive it in a separate arrangement. I am, therefore, writing to ask if we can find private individuals and friends who would be able to join us in contributing educational materials
like white canes and slates and stylists or anything that a blind kid can use for education.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="ydp45e8b8a4yiv5178251278msonormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A">Any contribution would be greatly appreciated.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="ydp45e8b8a4yiv5178251278msonormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="ydp45e8b8a4yiv5178251278msonormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A">Thanks<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="ydp45e8b8a4yiv5178251278msonormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="ydp45e8b8a4yiv5178251278msonormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A">Kassahun Yibeltal<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="ydp45e8b8a4yiv5178251278msonormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A">Cell: 703-798-1156<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A">E-mail:
<a href="mailto:kassahunyibeltal@yahoo.com">kassahunyibeltal@yahoo.com</a></span><o:p></o:p></p>
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