Ministry Update: CEMIPRE (Chile)

CEMIPRE’s mission is to reduce the impact of disability by addressing the spiritual, emotional, and physical consequences of blindness and to integrate those with special needs into the church, society, and work. Every service offered – from occupational therapy and speech/language therapy to Braille instruction and computer literacy training – is infused with the message of God’s love and the value and dignity of each person, rather than focusing solely on their disability.

In celebration of its 22 nd anniversary as a ministry, CEMIPRE invited several participants to share what CEMIPRE has meant to them. Here are their testimonies:

CEMIPRE has been fundamental in my reentry into society. Believing that we can do something for ourselves, we can do something for other people.

“Here I have found a family, something that I never thought could exist beyond what I thought my life was over, but here I have found new motivation. I sum it up in one word, which is a beginning and a rebirth for me, since I hadn’t finished everything. There are things that I thought I would never do again, and I can do them.

“At the end of May I completely lost my sight. I was very disoriented in my life, and I didn’t know what to do. I felt alone and isolated. I had the great luck and blessing to meet CEMIPRE, and from the first moment I arrived at the office, I was well understood… We people with disabilities can be great things. They teach us things that we cannot imagine that we can do.”