NMS operated a school for the blind at Taohwalun, Hunan, China. According to a report from 1947 it was a school for boys (see "Fra de blindes verden : diakon Karsten Lunde intervjuer diakon Havstad på Taohwalun", Norsk Misjonstidende, no. 33, 16 August 1947, pages 1 and 6).

The photo won the first prize in a photo contest, held by Norwegian Missionary Society in cooperation with the Church of Sweden Mission and the Danish Missionary Society. See Jan Dalland, "Nordisk fotokonkurranse : resultatet av konkurransen om det beste misjonsmotiv", Norsk Misjonstidende, no. 18, 29 May 1954, page 3. The prize list was published in the same issue, page 8.

"Blinde barn på kirkevei". Photographer: Karsten Lunde. Date: ca. 1946-1949