Funded by Education Cannot Wait,UNICEF training centers for visually impaired children enable children in the Central African Republic to reach their full potential.
BANGUI, Central African Republic, December 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ – Urielle sits in a classroom, engrossed in her reading. Her fingertips trace the intricate pattern of raised dots on the paper in front of her.
“I lost my eyesight at the age of three, but that didn’t stop me. From a young age, my parents taught me to be autonomous and self-reliant, to work hard and to pursue my dreams,” says Urielle.
A New Chapter for Visually Impaired Children in the Central African Republic
At a supported training center for visually impaired children, Urielle and other visually impaired children and young people learn to read Braille and gain access to education – in many cases for the first time ever.
This center is one of three centers run by Education cannot wait (ECW) financed in the capital Bangui. It was established to provide adapted learning opportunities for girls and boys with visual impairments in the Central african Republic. These centers help students build Braille and literacy skills, achieve good levels of proficiency in line with the national curriculum and support them to later attend mainstream school.
Every morning a special school tuk-tuk stops in front of Urielle’s house and takes her to the training center.The courses are taught by visually impaired teachers, supported by sighted teachers, and using Braille teaching materials.
The center follows the standard curriculum of the Ministry of National Education. Here Urielle also learned to read and write in Braille. These crucial skills sparked a newfound passion. “I love sharing stories with people, especially about social issues. My favorite subject is social studies because I enjoy learning about how people around the world live, interact with each other and face challenges,” says the teenager.
Even though Urielle is doing well in school today, the path to her education was not easy in a society where people with disabilities are still stigmatized. Urielle recalls, “Some neighbors and even relatives told me that I was useless and better suited for household chores than school. But thanks to my parents’ unwavering support,I learned to ignore those voices.”
Urielle understands the power of education to broaden her horizons and shape the future she wants for herself. “The more I learn, the more stories unfold in my head.That’s why I’m resolute to become a journalist,” she says.
The center also conducts vocational training courses to build skills. Former students have used these new skills to find jobs and some have even entered the public service.
The Central African Republic is one of the most arduous places in the world to be a child. Conflicts, violence, displacement and natural disasters continue to weigh heavily on the country. Years of instability have contributed to the virtual cessation of already limited public services, resulting in very limited or non-existent access to education in many parts of the country.