The Fleet
clubs’ involvement with the Eye Centre began
in 1994 when a member visited the Rotary Club of Diani (Rotary
District 9200) situated some 25 miles South of Mombasa on the
Kenya coast.
The Diani club had contributed to the founding
of the eye centre in late 1993 when it was set up by Dr Helen
Roberts MBE. The visitor from Fleet was asked if he would
like to see the fledgling eye centre and thus the link was
established. The member returned to the Kenya coast on holiday in 1995
and found that the eye centre was struggling for funds and
equipment. A few months later the Fleet club donated a portable
autoclave for instrument sterilization which replaced the domestic
pressure cooker which had served this purpose up to that point.
Since those early days the Fleet club has continued to support
the eye centre both with equipment such as portable generators,
nurses’ salaries and donations to the Poor Patients Fund
which exists to pay for treatment for those who are too poor
to make a contribution to the costs involved.
To date three members of the Fleet club and their wives have
visited the eye centre and have become long term supporters
of Dr Helen Roberts and her team.
On his retirement, one of the three decided that he wanted
to make a sizeable donation through the ‘Eye Give’ scheme
which would have an impact on the lives of the people who live
in Kwale District.
After discussions with Dr Roberts it was
agreed his donation should be used to fund the running
of no less than three eye camps in the name of the Rotary Club
of Fleet, and that these events would take place in March and
April 2008.
In three south coast villages 38 patients
went to KDEC for operations to remove their cataracts as a
result of the donation, 85 pairs of reading glasses were distributed
so that people could see to read after many frustrating
years of blurred bibles or Korans and eye drops were dispensed
to many others.
The Eye Centre staff who ran the camps reported that the
events were well attended and people were very grateful
to the Rotary Club of Fleet for sponsoring the eye camps.
Those who had surgery left the eye centre praising the work
of the staff of Kwale District Eye Centre and its sponsors.
Others, who only needed reading glasses, left the eye camps
happy to be able to see their near world clearly again.
The three village leaders were very happy
that their community members had been able to access eye care.
The restoration of sight allows people to become useful members
of their community once again and avoids poverty as they are
able to make money or provide food by farming and fishing.
As one man said who had undergone cataract surgery "I
will now be able go back to my work as a bicycle repairer.
Not only does it help the community but it also makes money
so that I can take care of my children"
In the case of the children who were treated at the eye camp,
some of them who were born with cataracts, they will be able
to lead a normal life thanks to donations such as this.
"If many eye camp sponsors could be found, no eye would
be blind in Kwale District and its environs" one patient,
a village headman, said.
The Rotary Club of Fleet continues to support Kwale District
Eye Centre annually. Fleet also maintains its links with Rotary
Club of Diani which it would like to thank for providing the
Rotary International wheel seen in the accompanying photographs.
We are also grateful to the other rotary clubs who have supported,
or continue to support us, as listed on ‘Our Supporters’ page
Photographs from top right:
1. Patient Omari with RC of Fleet banner
2 Lukore School Tree Poster . How the villagers know there
is to be an eye camp
3 Patients waiting room . Who needs comfortable chairs
?
4 Eye testing in the field. No smart consulting rooms here.
5 Eye drops for this child 6
Overjoyed patient
7.Elderly patients Fatima and Rashid with
a Fleet Rotary banner
8. (below) Cataract patients post op with sunglasses and
Rotary International Wheel.
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