There are some rooms you walk into and immediately feel like you’re meant to listen more than you speak. The Sense International Changemakers Gala was one of those evenings for us. Not because it was formal or intimidating, but because there was such a deep sense of purpose in the room that it naturally made you pause, take it in, and feel incredibly grateful to be there.
As Luxurist, we are used to beautiful spaces, inspiring people and memorable events. But this felt different. This wasn’t about spectacle for the sake of it. This was about people who care. Properly care. The kind of care that shows up year after year, across continents, across cultures, across communities that are too often overlooked.
Held beneath Shakespeare’s Globe at the Underglobe, the setting itself felt symbolic. A space rooted in storytelling, now hosting stories that truly matter. Stories that don’t just entertain, but shift perspective. The room was filled with philanthropists, advocates, leaders and supporters, all united by one shared belief: that everyone deserves to be seen, included and given the chance to live a full life .
Having Anne, Princess Royal in attendance, Patron of Sense and Sense International for decades, added a level of significance that can’t be overstated. But what stood out most wasn’t the title, it was the consistency. The fact that this is a relationship built over time, with genuine engagement and understanding. In a world where support can sometimes feel surface-level, this felt grounded and real.
And that is exactly what Sense International represents.
This is an organisation that has been doing the work for over 30 years. Not the easy work. Not the work that gets the most headlines. But the work that changes lives in ways that ripple through families, communities and entire systems. They are the only international NGO dedicated specifically to supporting people with deafblindness and their families, and when you understand what that really means, it stops you in your tracks.
Because deafblindness is not just a condition. It is often isolation. It is being excluded from education because the system doesn’t know how to support you. It is limited access to communication, to opportunity, to independence. It is being unseen in ways most of us cannot even begin to imagine.
And yet, across eight countries, including India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Romania, Peru, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, Sense International is changing that reality every single day. They are working with governments, with teachers, with healthcare providers, with families, building something sustainable. Something that lasts. Not just stepping in, but transforming how societies understand and include people with deafblindness.
They are reaching almost 100,000 people and their families every year. That number is huge, but somehow still feels too small when you realise how many more people still need that support .
What struck us most throughout the evening was the depth of commitment. This isn’t about ticking boxes or running short-term programmes. It’s about early intervention for children so they have a chance to learn and grow. It’s about inclusive education so they can sit in classrooms alongside their peers. It’s about vocational training so adults can earn, contribute and live independently. It’s about advocacy so that policies change and inclusion becomes the norm, not the exception.
But as powerful as all of that is, it’s the individual stories that bring everything into focus.
And Mwanaasha’s story is one that stays with you.
She is from Kisarawe, Tanzania. A young woman who, as a child, developed a brain tumour and underwent major surgery that left her with partial sight and hearing loss. At a time when her life should have been opening up, it narrowed. School became a place she could no longer fully access. Opportunities that should have been within reach simply weren’t available to her. She had dreams of going to university, of building a future, and suddenly those dreams felt distant, almost impossible .
It’s difficult to sit with that reality. To imagine being held back not by ability, but by a lack of support.
And yet, this is where the story changes.
Through Sense International Tanzania, Mwanaasha was given something that so many people take for granted. A chance. She received vocational training. She learned financial skills. She was given start-up capital. And from there, she began building a business making soaps and detergents.
What started as a small step became something much bigger.
Her business didn’t just survive, it thrived. Even through the challenges of the pandemic, she continued to grow. She opened a second shop. She became financially independent. She built a life that once felt completely out of reach. She is now supporting herself and her family, standing as a respected businesswoman in her community .
And then, she did something even more powerful.
She chose to give back.
Mwanaasha is now the chairperson of Viziwi Wasioona Tanzania, an organisation representing people with deafblindness. She is an advocate, a leader, someone who is actively working to change perceptions and push for inclusion. She is using her experience not just to build her own life, but to open doors for others.
Her words are simple, but they carry weight. A belief that people with deafblindness deserve opportunities, independence, and to feel loved and included in society.
Sitting in that room, listening to her story, it was impossible not to feel emotional. Not in a performative way, but in a very real, human way. Because this is what impact looks like. It is not abstract. It is not distant. It is a person. A life. A future that has been changed.
For so many in our community, particularly those with roots in East Africa, there is an added layer of connection. These are places we know. Places our parents and grandparents came from. Places where resilience is part of everyday life. Where people build, rebuild and keep going despite challenges.
Mwanaasha’s story feels familiar in that sense. Not the specifics, but the spirit. The determination to create something better. The refusal to accept limitation. The belief that change is possible.
And that is what made this evening feel so special.
It wasn’t about charity in the traditional sense. It was about partnership. About standing alongside an organisation that is doing meaningful, life-changing work and saying, we see you, we support you, and we want to be part of this.
There was a real sense of responsibility in the room. A recognition that those of us who have platforms, networks and resources can do more. That we should do more.
As Luxurist, we left feeling incredibly humbled. Grateful to have been invited into that space. Grateful to witness the work being done. Grateful to meet the people behind it, both those leading the organisation and those whose lives have been transformed by it.
But more than that, we left feeling moved.
Moved to talk about this. To share these stories. To encourage our audience, our community, to get involved in whatever way they can. Whether that is through donations, partnerships, raising awareness or simply taking the time to understand the work being done.
Because organisations like Sense International need more than applause. They need backing. They need support. They need people who are willing to stand with them as they continue to break down barriers and build a more inclusive world.
And if there is one thing this evening made clear, it is that change is possible.
It is happening.
And it is being driven by people who care deeply, act consistently and refuse to accept a world where anyone is left behind.
To be in that room, to hear those stories, to feel that energy, was an honour.
And one we won’t forget.
