Light For The World - History

History

  • Dark and Light was founded in 1982 by the ophthalmologist Martien Cozijnsen and his wife Jenny. The small 'family foundation' has grown into the biggest development organisation in the Netherlands working for the prevention of blindness and the rehabilitation of persons with disabilities.
  • The Austrian organisation "Licht für die Welt" was founded in 1988 in Vienna under the name "Christoffel-Blindenmission Austria". Among the first projects of the young Austrian organisation were eye care units and rehabilitation programmes in Ethiopia and Kenya.
  • The Belgian branch of Light for the World was founded in 1997 under the name of Christian Blind Mission Belgium. One of the first programmes supported was CCBRT – an orthopaedic and eye care hospital and rehabilitation programme in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
  • In 1999 the initiative "VISION 2020 – The Right To Sight" was launched in cooperation with the World Health Organisation (WHO).
  • Light for the World has been an active member in this global action plan to eliminate preventable blindness by the year 2020 since the beginning.
  • In 2004, the organization in Austria changed its name to "Licht für die Welt - Christoffel-Entwicklungszusammenarbeit", and appeared worldwide as "Light for the World". Also, the Austrian President Dr. Heinz Fischer became patron of Light for the World.
  • In 2007, the Czech branch of Light for the World was founded in Prague and currently supports programmes in Ethiopia.
  • In 2008 a formal agreement of confederation was signed by Light for the World in Austria, Belgium and Czech Republic in order to strengthen the collaboration in the program countries and to improve opportunities to distribute funds and resources.
  • In 2010, the Austrian Licht für die Welt and the Dutch Dark and Light made an agreement in regarsd to projects on which they collaborated. "Licht für die Welt" took over responsibility for projects in Ethiopia and Pakistan, and Dark and Light did the same on Nepal and Sudan.
  • In 2011, Dark and Light joined the Confederation.
  • In 2012, Dark and Light changes its name to Light for the World The Netherlands.

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