Bazaar Story: CEMIPRE

Filled with fear and shame, Macarena took her first steps into CEMIPRE. These steps meant she was becoming one of “them”–a person with a disability. Macarena was young, fit, and working at a job she loved. She didn’t want to be disabled, even though she was diagnosed with degenerative low vision. A friend from church encouraged Macarena to checkout CEMIPRE. Over time, CEMIPRE helped Macarena understand her diagnosis. She could see this wasn’t the end of her life but a new chapter. Macarena is learning orientation and mobility using a white cane and Braille, but finding true community among the staff and others with disabilities has been the greatest treasure of all.

CEMIPRE provides occupational, speech, and language therapy; Braille instruction; and community literacy training all bathed in the gospel to adults and children.

CEMIPRE brings the visually impaired into community, equipping them with skills to be independent, and sharing the hope found in Christ.

New participants require more hands-on attention as they navigate a new world of vision loss. With an influx of new participants (including several children with low vision or blindness), pray for CEMIPRE workers to have wisdom and continue to care for and encourage long-term participants well.

In addition to prayer, Oakseed’s bazaar catalog offers tangible ways to provide for CEMIPRE as they seek to serve the visually impaired, including :