HELEN
KELLER INTERNATIONAL - OVERVIEW
Helen
Keller International, the international division of Helen Keller
Worldwide, was founded in 1915 as the American Foundation for Overseas
Blind, by the deaf-blind crusader, Helen Keller, and a group of
American businessmen in Paris, to educate and rehabilitate soldiers
who lost their sight in World War I. After Helen Keller's death
in 1968, the agency was renamed in her honor. The agency re-oriented
its focus to blindness prevention in the 1970s, which led to intensive
involvement in controlling vitamin A deficiency, the leading cause
of childhood blindness. From the outset, we have recognized that
controlling vitamin A deficiency requires addressing broader food
and nutrition issues. In 1992, our mandate was specifically modified
to include combating other micronutrient deficiencies, to fulfill
our mission: "Save the sight and lives of the most vulnerable
of the human family and educate and rehabilitate the blind."
Historically
our programs had been concentrated in Asia, and in 1997, the agency
made the decision to strengthen our programs in Africa. We currently
have country programs in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire,
Guinea, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone,
South Africa and Tanzania. We pursue a range of strategies to combat
micronutrient deficiencies including supplementation, dietary diversification,
promotion and protection of breastfeeding, food fortification and
evidence-based nutrition advocacy. As a technical assistance agency,
all of our programs are based on partnerships with host country
governments, local and regional institutions and other non-governmental
organizations.
For
more information, contact: Shawn K. Baker, Regional Director for
Africa, skbaker@hki.ci or Víctor
M. Aguayo, Regional Nutrition and Child Survival Advisor for Africa,
vaguayo@hkimali.org.