Held Friday by the charity which hosts in care 20 children with visual impairment, the party saw participants dine and exchange talks with their eyes covered using a black cloth.
Vanessa Bahati, the founder of Jordan Foundation, said she emulated the exercise from Singapore during her visit.
It is expected to be organised twice a year to let as many people as possible experience the feeling of losing sight in order to stimulate compassion towards the visually impaired.
At the Dinner in the Dark moderated by comedian Diogène Ntarindwa aka Atome, participants were covered the eyes, led to the dining tables and given time to chat.
Most of them were challenged by walking and eating with their eyes covered. In the 55 sightless minutes, some shed emotional tears as a result of tasting on the bitterness of blindness.
The moment shed light on the life of people who identify things by tactile or smelling.
Participants testified of their experience and commitment to greater advocacy for the visually impaired children.
Herbert Muhirem hailed Bahati’s efforts to support the vulnerable children.
“A mum on my side has caught emotions and shed tears. I have now felt the life of our colleagues with visual impairment. Vanessa is very brave for living with these children every day. She is a woman who took a very hard decision,” he said.
Antoine Iyamuremye committed to advocating for people with visual impairment.
“It is good sharing about the life of visually impaired. This can make people care more about the visually impaired. I have committed encouraging people to visit these children, help them and advocate for the expansion of this project to reach more people,” he said.
Bahati said the exercise makes people feel the fate of the visual impairment.
“Participants have realised that interacting with others without sight requires good mind. This teaches us a lesson that we should respect people with disability of visual impairment,” she said.
She said she expects more people to support people with disabilities.
Bahati founded Jordan Foundation in 2015, named after her third child who was born with visual impairment and all medical efforts bore no fruits.
The foundation is currently caring for 20 children in its centre located in Gatsata, City of Kigali.
Bahati received the accolade from First Lady Jeannette Kagame in 2017 as recognition of her important project among the youth.
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