Braille Without Borders

Do you know that 9 out of 10 visually impaired children in developing countries have no access to education?

The organization Braille Without Borders believes that this situation can be changed, particularly by visionaries who are blind/partially sighted themselves.

After establishing the well known Braille Without Borders training center in Tibet with its unique concepts of empowering the blind to take their own projects in their own hands, the organization is now taking a next step: The realisation of the
International Institute for Social Entrepreneurs (IISE).

Through the IISE Braille without Borders aims to empower especially those blind and visually impaired people who feel an urge to make a positive change in their country, society or surrounding.

In a one year's course the IISE will train 25 to 40 participants (age 18+) who have the right initiative, motivation and potential to establish and run their own social projects.

Braille without Borders sees blind and visually impaired people who have gained self confidence by overcoming obstacles in life as natural detectors of social problems in society. Through the battle against daily discrimination a number of blind and visually impaired people developed strength and are able to act as problem solvers in their own surroundings.

Therefore the IISE will especially focus on participants who are blind and/or partially sighted. Over a one year's course the participants will be practically trained in management, fundraising, PR activities, project planning, computer technology, English, communication and soft skills. After this training they will be in a position to fight for their rights, to negotiate with governmental leaders and help to change the attitudes towards marginalized groups through setting up social and/or environmental projects in their own regions or countries.

In order to ensure high quality training the IISE will accommodate a maximum of 40 participants per annum. The institute will be run by a national and international team of highly qualified facilitators (catalysts).

Our search criteria for staff members will be creativity, motivation and qualification.

At the moment BWB is looking for creative and inspiring academic personel and for a number of staffmembers, please click here for more information.

The IISE is located in the pristine purity of a little village by the side of the tranquil Vellayani lake In Trivandrum Kerala. The campus is built in an environmental friendly ethnic style based on the ideology of the renowned architect, the late Laurie Baker and implemented by Sajan of Costford. BWB has incorporated rain water harvesting, grey water tereatment, biogas, solar/wind energy and waste management systems along with ecosan toilets.

The idea is to make this project a model for all future institutions of its kind.

- Orientation (on campus, in the Velayani area, in Kerala)
- Introduction - to the upcoming programme, the facilities and the local culture and language
- Breaking the ice - getting to know each other’s dreams, cultural differences etc

- Communication - debate, interaction, conflict management etc.
- Speech - voice training, Public speech, stage training, etc.
- Media - campus radio, campus magazine, Talkshows, photo, video, radioplays
- Work on case studies and radio plays with the topic "cultural taboos"

Please find here a radioplay about the "Tansalesian Case Study". Tansalesia is an imaginative country where different groups of participants create their own social project. They face real life situations such as corruption, problems with neighbours, land/tax issues and everything that makes the lives of social entrepreneurs difficult but at the same time exciting. Enjoy the show!

- Movements - disability, aids, women, peace, environment etc.
- Work on real BWB-projects.
- Going public - organizing events, pr and fundraising, etc

- Creating and finalizing one’s own vision.
- Project planning - project concepts, proposals, presentations etc.
- Financing - budgeting, financial proposals and reports, raising funds etc

Handing in a ten page project proposal.
Presentation of a 15 minutes multi media public speech.
A winner will be chosen by the IISE jury. The winner receives the Anandi-Ramachandran-Award grand of 5000 Euro to implement his/her social or environmental project.

The first year of 2009 will have two classes. Sighted, blind and partially sighted participants are trained together.
Catalysts, designers, one navigator and volunteers will cover the following main tasks:
Facilitating, motivating, propelling and initiating in the areas
1. Management, communication and public skills:
2. Computer technology hard/software: (based on Linux)
3. Social and environmental movement
4. Sports
5. Short term Workshops: Those workshops will mainly be held by guest speakers and guest catalysts.

Applicants for the training need the following skills and qualities:
- Creativity, innovation and motivation.
- For those who are blind or visually impaired: Reading and writing enlarged print or English Braille (grade 1 and 2)
- Ability to Communicate in English. (All sessions and workshops will be conducted in English)

PARTICIPANTS

BWB is looking for motivated, engaged and talented participants.
For the first course which started in January 2009, BWB accepted 23 highly motivated candidates from the following countries: China, Columbia, Germany, Ghana, India, Japan, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Nepal, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone and South Africa.

Participants for the year 2010 should apply for a full scholarship.
Deadline for sending in the application forms is 30th of June 2009.
If you have a dream and you want to learn how to realize it, please fill out the following: form