Kaufland helps the blind, distributed 1.7 million crowns in Prague and the Central Bohemia region

Xenie is studying an interest course as part of lifelong learning, seniors will be able to enjoy hippotherapy, and children and youth with visual impairments will be able to spend time with their peers playing goalball or swimming. Mrs. Erika will even get an eye prosthesis thanks to the financial donation. The fulfillment of these and many other wishes will be made possible by contributions from the Kaufland Fund, which is managed by the Světluška Endowment Fund of Czech Radio.

Kaufland, hand in hand with Svetlushka of the Czech Radio Endowment Fund, has been improving the lives of the blind for the fifth year. In 2023, the retail chain helped with a total amount of CZK 8,106,007, which was distributed across all regions. Thanks to this contribution, the visually impaired received, for example, special aids for school and for everyday life, or funds for assistance and guide services, education as well as leisure activities and sports.

Through the Kaufland Fund, Světluška donated 1,909,145 crowns to the visually impaired in Prague and the Central Bohemian Region. Also thanks to the contributions of Kaufland customers from the Christmas collection, Xenia can study the interest course Psychology for Every Day at the Faculty of Arts of Charles University as part of lifelong education.

“I really enjoy studying! For me, it is an opportunity to learn something new, but also to spend my free time meaningfully and devote myself to what really fulfills me. I believe that the acquired knowledge will help me not only in my future job, but also in my personal life,” says Xenia.

Xenia as a motivation for others as well

The student has been visually impaired since birth, with one eye she can distinguish very rich colors and large buildings, but with the other eye she cannot see at all. He finds it difficult to recognize people’s non-verbal expressions, does not read normally written text, uses a mobile phone and a computer with voice output and uses a white cane to orientate himself. Because she herself knows how fragile a person’s mental health is, she supports other people with similar problems with articles on her blog, and she would like to become a therapist. He now works at Kávárna POTMĚ and at the Invisible Exhibition.

In addition to this, in the capital city, for example, the Palata ─ Home for the Visually Impaired received support, where seniors with a visual handicap can look forward to hippotherapy. Domov Palata offers its clients a varied range of activities such as musical performances, handicrafts, cooking and theater.

Finances also helped the Jaroslav Ježek School, which will purchase special interactive displays for students with visual and combined disabilities needed for teaching.

Involvement in life

Other organizations invest the contributions received, for example, in organizing goalball tournaments or other exercise, development and community activities, which enable the visually impaired to spend their time meaningfully, establish new friendships and learn skills important for independent living.

“We believe in help that has a real impact on the lives of specific people and groups. At Kaufland, we are happy to be cooperating with Světlushka for the fifth year already. Supporting the blind and visually impaired is a project close to our heart, to which we proudly contribute both in the form of finances and by supporting events such as the Night Runs for the Firefly or the Dark Café. Last but not least, of course, thanks go to to our employees at the checkouts and also to our customers who participate in our Christmas collection. Their solidarity allows us to move this project forward every year,” he says Renata Maierl, Kaufland spokeswoman.

The Kaufland Special Fund was established under Světlushka as early as 2019. Funds from it are then distributed as part of open grant procedures. Individuals with severe visual impairments and organizations helping people with visual or combined visual impairments from all over the Czech Republic can apply for support. Since 2019, the Kaufland Fund has thus far awarded 372 contributions to individuals and 316 organizations with a total value of more than 37 million crowns. Thanks to the Christmas fundraiser for Světluška, a unique Rental of Compensatory Aids for the Visually Impaired was opened in 2021, which annually realizes more than a hundred short- and long-term loans of special aids and sports equipment for the blind and partially sighted from all over the Czech Republic.