Luis Ortiz

Luis Ortiz, 45, is from Colón province. He worked in electrical construction until losing his sight to retinitis pigmentosa. To deal with his new situation, Luis attended rehabilitation classes at the Patronato Luz del Ciego in Panama City. There, he’s learned to travel independently using a cane. He also attended the jewelry-making class we funded.

​

Because he didn’t have an academic high school diploma, Luis couldn’t enroll in a university, so he enrolled in high school. He graduated at the end of June and hopes to study historical tourism at a university next year. We provide a stipend for his last semester of high school and will continue to assist him if he continues to a university.

 

Throughout all of this, Luis has had to eat, so he’s been working as a street vendor in Colón. He’s been living in a tiny apartment in Chilibre, which enables him to go to school in Panama City and, on other days, to work in Colón. The need to continue this routine has affected his university planning. The University of Panamá would require him to be on campus every day, so he’s looking for a university that fits his work schedule.