Spirit Foundation and LOFOB share a mission to improve existing systems and support for the visually impaired community.
The League of Friends of the Blind (LOFOB) is an organisation that, for over 90 years, has redefined what it means to see. LOFOB doesn’t restore sight in the medical sense. Instead, it offers something far more powerful: the opportunity for blind and visually impaired children to realise their potential, gain independence, and participate fully in society.
At the heart of this effort is a partnership built on trust, shared values, and a commitment to inclusion. Since 2018, the Spirit Foundation has stood as a loyal and key partner to LOFOB, ensuring that children and youth, particularly those in under-resourced communities, receive the early developmental interventions they need.
“Limited government support and increased competition for donor funding are some of the key challenges we face,” says Benita Petersen, manager of LOFOB. “The ongoing, loyal financial support received from the Spirit Foundation has been invaluable. It has allowed us to continue providing specialist early childhood development therapy and education services to close to 300 blind and visually impaired children.”
LOFOB’s impact, supported by the Spirit Foundation, stretches across the Western Cape. With the help of a sponsored vehicle, the organisation has been able to offer outreach in towns such as Beaufort West, Robertson, Piketberg, Citrusdal, Vredenburg, and Montagu. These visits are not symbolic; they deliver hands-on support, including braille literacy, orientation and mobility training, occupational therapy, and parent empowerment workshops.
“The Spirit Foundation’s support has enabled us to reach blind and visually impaired children from marginalised communities,” Petersen says. “We are now able to deliver not just services, but a message of dignity and empowerment to children and families who may otherwise feel forgotten.”
LOFOB’s programmes are delivered at no cost to beneficiaries, many of whom rely on state grants. The Spirit Foundation’s targeted investment in Early Childhood Development (ECD) and education ensures that children as young as a few months old receive stimulation and support that sets a foundation for lifelong independence.
In a world where sight is often equated with success, LOFOB and the Spirit Foundation are shifting the focus, proving that with the proper support, children can thrive not despite their blindness, but alongside it.