About CAB

Achieving Equality - Ensuring equal opportunities for social inclusion and participation in development.

Promote Peace and unity - tranquility, among the blind and visually impaired in Liberia. 

Foster Independence - support blind and partially sighted persons to render them self-supporting to an under-privilege class of Liberians who are blind.

Advocacy and Empowerment - Empower the blind to apply their democratic values as individuals with dignity and respect. 

CAB's Goal:

The primary goal of CAB is to ensure the full emancipation of all blind persons, provide technical support and advocate for their social inclusion regarding the needs of the blind in the larger society thereby eradicating the various forms of social discrimination currently being meted out against them.

 

Core Values: 

As an association, CAB espouse to Christian principles that foster love and care while maintaining and applying the democratic values of individual dignity to an underprivilege class of Liberians who are blind through legal and administrative provisions.

 

International Recognition  

Following its incorporation by the act of the legislature in 1993, CAB has been recognized by the World Blind Union (WBU); it maintains membership with the African Union of the Blind (AFUB); holds partnership collaboration with the Danish Association of the Blind (DAB); affiliates with the International Council on Education for the Visually Impaired and World Braille Foundation. In Liberia, CAB has been recognized by many other national and local groups including the CRS, LCC, Mercy Corp and several others.

In addition to its track record with international partners, our Association has a sustained and long-standing relationship with the DANISH ASSOCIATION of the BLIND (DAB) based in Copenhagen Denmark, and this partnership cooperation has existed for more than eight years now. With funding support from DAB and extended support from DISABLED PEOPLE of DENMARK, CAB is currently implementing a three-year membership and organizational development project for the blind and partially sighted in eight of the political subdivisions of Liberia. The implementation of the inclusive education project for the blind in Liberia is in collaboration with the African Union of the Blind based in Nairobi, Kenya, and the Ministry of Education, Republic of Liberia. 

Inception

The Liberia Christian Association of the Blind was founded by a group of young blind persons and dedicated professional sighted persons on April 28, 1985, in the city of Monrovia, Montserrado County, Republic of Liberia. CAB was founded to bridge the gap and cater to the educational and social development needs of the blind and visually impaired persons within the Liberian society. Its activities came to a halt in 1989 due to the outbreak of the civil war and had to be reestablished in 1992, and finally incorporated by an act of the Legislature in 1993. CAB now fully operates as a non-governmental organization serving the needs of the blind and partially sighted in Liberia.

 Focus Areas 

Among the issues being addressed by CAB are the challenges of representation in the national decision-making process affecting the blind,  inadequacy of programs geared at income generation and individual sustainability of the blind; limited opportunities for the employment of competent blind persons in the government and private sectors; the lack of political will on the part of the government to implement national policy aimed at  addressing  the needs of the blind; the problem of equal opportunity for the blind to access quality education at State University, and other social services etc.

Accordingly, the primary goal of CAB is to ensure the full social and economic inclusion of the blind and partially sighted in all aspects of community as well as public life, by empowering the blind and working towards the eradication   of all forms of social discrimination and/or marginalization currently being meted out against us the blind.  As envisaged in our mission, CAB is committed to humanizing the treatment of all blind and visually impaired persons in Liberia irrespective of sex, age, religion, ethnic background or other considerations through education and training for social empowerment, integration and equal opportunities for the self-sustenance and dignity of the individual blind persons.

CAB believes this can strengthen members of the organization and create unity of purpose among them through capacity building and advocacy, in partnership with the government, international agencies and other stakeholders.

CAB's LEGAL STATUS

CAB is incorporated by the Government of Liberia through an act of the National Legislature as a body politic corporate, having perpetual existence, and with authority to contract, sue and be sued, plead and be impleaded in any court of the Republic of Liberia. The Association in its aims and objectives is to help blind persons fellowship with one another in serving their needs, and to strengthen the work of the Association by fostering cooperation with other local organizations to enable the blind to work together in peace and unity for the promotion and maintenance of justice.

CAB is also vested with the full power and authority to make and establish laws and regulations for its own governance; to do all things and undertake acts as done by similar corporate bodies which are not repugnant to the constitution and laws of the Republic of Liberia.

By virtue of the Act of 1993 incorporating our Association, CAB is legally empowered with competent jurisdiction to purchase, or otherwise acquire, hold, convey mortgage or otherwise hypothecate property, real, personal and mixed up to the value of up to one hundred thousand and not limited to million dollars.

As a non-for-profit corporate entity, the Association enjoys exemption from the payment of taxes with the commitment to open its books and accounts to an official of the Ministry of Finance designated.    

 

 How is CAB Supported?

Much of CAB’s support comes from voluntary contributions from humanitarian organizations, and outstanding personalities. Among the organizations and personalities that have extended helping hand to CAB are churches, member of the Board of Advisors, including its former Board of Chairman the late Cllr Joseph P. H Finley and some NGOs. At the moment, the Danish Association of the Blind, the World Blind Union, Africa Union of the Blind are all helping through organizational collaboration in finding solution to some of the numerous problems of CAB. There is no subsidy from government as yet, even though CAB has made a lot of efforts in seeking this by reminding government that the issue of the blind is not just the welfare of the blind , but rights based approach towards inclusive social development that primarily target the needs of the blind in Liberia.

Some Challenges and Problems of CAB

While the population of the blind is on the increase, the major health cases of visual impairment remain largely unattended. A recent study indicates that the blind make up 31% of the population of the disabled in the country, which is estimated to be 16.4% of a national population of around 4.5 million people. The vast majority of the blind is illiterate and has no access to services necessary to meet their basic livelihood needs (i.e. lack of formal education as local institutions are not able to cater to the specialized needs of the blind in classrooms dominated by the sighted). As a result, there are a large number of blind and partially-sighted roaming the streets as well as in isolation in the rural area. There seem to be little political commitment meager to solving the problems in the country. CAB faces a lot of resources constraints in her attempts to solve some of these problems. There is no access to financial and material resources as she operates in a society, which is unlikely to provide any significant measure of support to the cause of the blind.

 

What is the Organizations Structure

The highest decision-making body of CAB is the General Assembly, which meets once every year to decide the fate of the organization. At every forth meeting, the Assembly elects the corps of National Executive Committee (NEC) headed by the President. The function of the NEC includes managing the day-to-day activities pf the organization. A National Board of advisors provides policy guidance and counsel to the NEC. A corps of officers through their various standing committees and volunteers, assist the NEC in the implementation of CAB’s programs. 

Founders

1. Beyan G. Kota Current National President
2. Alpha Bassie Kamara
3. James P. Johnson
4. Moses Floma *
5. Friday Wulah *
6. James Hyeah *
7. Mohammed Allie
8. B. Varney Brown*
9. John W. Gayflor
10. Fatu C. Kota

 

* Deceased

 

LEADERSHIP AND WORKFORCE OF CAB

 

The leadership of the Association comprises the following:

 

A. CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION:

 

1. Mr. Beyan G. Kota , National President and Chief Executive Officer
2. Antony N. Dangan,   National  Vice President                  
3. James Y. Williams, Secretary General/Finance Officer
4. Mrs. Fatu C. Kota, Administrator, National Resource Center for the Blind
5. Comfort P. Bestman, Treasurer
6. Grace Lorpu Johnson, Chaplain
7. Mercy W. Gaigaie, Chairperson, Women Committee
8. Rally T. Fallah, Chairperson, Youth Wing

Please note: the Central Administration has a support staff of 11 additional persons which include: a driver, 2 cooks, 4 caretakers and 5 securities (2 in the day 3 at night) at the National Resource Center for the Blind.

B. LOCAL ADMINISTRATION

                       

1. Anthony N. Dangan, Coordinator, Bomi Branch
2. Joe M. Kpaklah, Coordinator, Margibi
3. Robert S. Kpado, Coordinator, Grand Bassa County
4. John Weefur, Coordinator, Bong County
5. Moses Mopolu, Salala Branch, Bong County and
6. T. Solopiah Musa Nimba County Branch Coordinator,
7. Victor Cooper, Coordinator Grand Gedeh County Branch,
8. Isaac Soribah, Coordinator Lofa County Branch

 

Please note also that each of these local officials/County Coordinators is being assisted by three (3) additional officers, namely, the office secretary, Financial Secretary and a treasurer.

 

 

C. Educational Arm of CAB

 

1. Kennedy Y. Zangar, Head Teacher
2. James P. Johnson, Head Teacher for Administration
3. Joseph Saye, Teacher for Instruction
4. Femi Ogundarie, Teacher
5. Nelson Kardor, O/M Teacher
6. Ernest Y. Zayzay, Teacher
7. Togba Tarniah, Teacher
8. Moses Massaquoi, Sports and Physical Education Teacher
9. Joseph Kortu, Teacher

 

 

 

                 

 

 

 

Below in picture CAB in Action

 

The mission of CAB is to humanize the treatment of all blind persons in Liberia irrespective of sex, age, or other considerations, through education and training for full social integration, empowerment and equal opportunities.