Braille Quran Training Successfully Completed in Uganda
The three-week training held in Kampala in cooperation with the Çare Association and TİKA was the first Braille Quran course for the visually impaired in Uganda; most of the 35 visually impaired participants began reading the Quran.
The Braille Quran training program organized in Kampala, the capital of Uganda, through the cooperation of the International Union of Braille Quran Services (IBQS), the Çare Association and the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) has been successfully completed. The program, held between 2 and 24 January 2025, was the first comprehensive Braille Quran training for visually impaired people in Uganda.
The training took place at an orphanage in Kampala, with English as the language of instruction. IBQS President Halis Kuralay and Mustafa Göz from Türkiye, together with Juma Aufi from Malawi, served as trainers. Braille Qurans, Elif booklets, writing slates, styluses and other learning materials sent from Türkiye were used actively throughout the course.
A total of 38 participants aged between 11 and 65 attended the three-week program: 35 visually impaired individuals and 3 sighted participants. Students first learned the braille alphabet and then progressed to reading the Quran in braille. After approximately 150 hours of training, many participants had begun reading the Braille Quran. At the closing ceremony, participants received Braille Qurans, writing tools and white canes.
The training also created opportunities for international collaboration. A participant from Sierra Leone said he planned to establish a similar course in his own country after completing the program.
Most visually impaired people in Uganda previously had access to braille literacy only through other religious texts, with very limited access to the Quran. This project enabled visually impaired individuals to encounter the Braille Quran for the first time and to learn the Quran directly. Some participants who joined the course from other faiths also chose Islam during the program. The students' determination and enthusiasm created deeply meaningful moments for the training team as well.
As IBQS, we continue our efforts to expand access to the Quran for visually impaired people in different countries. We hope that the program in Uganda will serve as an example for new projects in Africa and other regions.
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