The beginnings of Fundación Luz
The drivebehind Ester Huneeus
In 1924, inspired by Ester Huneeus, better known as Marcela Paz, a group of young friends founded the Sociedad Protectora de Ciegos Santa Lucía.
Twelve years later, the Hogar de Ciegos Santa Lucía opened in San Miguel, which by the late 1940s had become the first school for individuals with visual disability in Latin America. This milestone gave rise to what is now Fundación Luz and Colegio Santa Lucía.
Consolidation and modernization
From 1950, the institution was led by Alicia Cañas Zañartu, who for nearly five decades consolidated and expanded its work. Her commitment inspired family members and friends who, to this day, continue to take part in leading the foundation.
In the 1990s, Osvaldo Pérez Campino drove the modernization of management and the redefinition of the mission, enabling the foundation to respond to the challenges of the 21st century.
Artistic and educational milestones
Orquesta Sonidos de Luz, founded in 2004, is an artistic and musical project that develops the talents of individuals with visual disability. Its repertoire includes jazz, tango, bossa nova, folk, and popular music, and includes performances on major stages.
Four years later, a new school opened in La Cisterna, designed with high standards of quality and pedagogical innovation. Later, under the leadership of presidents Alfredo Barros and Manuel Labra Bebin, the institution's mission was strengthened with a long-term focus on social inclusion.
The first center para la discapacidad visual
In August 2024, to mark Fundación Luz's centennial, the first Luz Center for Visual Disability in Chile was inaugurated. This space expands the comprehensive care model and offers free care and workshops for individuals with visual disability, supporting them from childhood through adulthood.
The center promotes autonomy, independence, and inclusion, supporting the growth, development, and learning of each beneficiary, together with their families and communities.
Our present
Today, Fundación Luz is chaired by Macarena Santa María, who continues this great work with the same commitment that has guided the institution for a century: working toward the autonomy, inclusion, and comprehensive development of individuals with visual disability in Chile.
We would like to recognize and thank those who, for more than a decade, have actively contributed to the foundation's work. These include board members such as Christian Plaetner Moller, in his role as director and executive secretary, as well as Juan Raúl Ventura-Juncá and José Luis Santa María as legal advisors, along with other collaborators who remain a fundamental part of our history.