Sight
Savers International
|
On behalf of Sight Savers International, the crew of the yacht Loquax will be delivering
learning equipment to a blind children's centre in Banjul and surgical equipment to eye
care projects up-river, enabling the people from more remote rural areas to access vital
sight-saving treatments.
Sight Savers
International works in over 20 developing countries. Since 1950, it has restored
sight to nearly four million people and treated over 35 million others for potentially
blinding conditions. But the problem remains that people in developing countries
are ten times more likely to go blind than in the UK. Yet 80% of this suffering could be
prevented or cured.
You can help Sight Savers to save sight and change lives, the Edingtons
are.
Sight Savers International's Programmes
target the poorest and most vulnerable communities
act as a catalyst, offering expertise as well as financial support
develop the pilot project which can then be implemented on a larger
scale
are time limited and plan for phased withdrawal of Sight Savers' support
work with local people, not for them, and involve them in every part of
the project
collaborate with local and regional organisations and national
agencies to reach out to the maximum number of people
encourage project partners to work closely with governments so that
services form an integral part of national plans
ensure cost-effective use of the money donors invest in our work
BLINKING
HELL! |
TRACHOMA.....First
the eyelids itch and swell up. After repeated bouts of infection, they become so disfigured that the eyelashes turn inwards. Now every blink
scratches the eyeball. Agonisingly
slowly, the victim goes blind.
This is trachoma. Six million people in the developing world are blind because of it.
Millions of children in Africa and Asia are infected right now. But the really horrifying
thing is that this suffering is totally unnecessary, because trachoma can be treated very
quickly and cheaply in its early stages with a small tube of antibiotic ointment. |
The Gambia leads the way
The population of The Gambia has increased by 50% in the last ten years,
yet the number of blind people in the country has shown a huge decrease. This is one of
the very encouraging findings of the national blindness survey in 1996. An initial survey
was carried out in 1986 to assist in establishing the national eye care programme. Sight
Savers International has been involved from the outset. Dr. Hannah Faal,
its Eye Care Consultant for West Africa was seconded to the Ministry of Health, where she
has been a driving force in helping to develop the programme. People were the key, both
specialist staff and health workers at all levels who were given extra training.
Sight Savers funded courses for eye care paramedics and cataract surgeons
at the school of Health Sciences in Malawi, while in The Gambia Sight Savers has helped to
develop a nine-month course to train Community Health Nurses in eye work. They are now
based at strategically located points throughout the country, serving as a link between
the community, the health centres and the eye units. To complete the chain, village health
workers have received training in basic eye care. As well as determining future priorities
in The Gambia, the findings of the national blindness survey are expected to be of use in
many other African countries which face similar problems, but do not have such accurate
statistics.
Sight Savers
International Grosvenor Hall, Bolnore
Road, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, United Kingdom RH16 4BX Tel : 01444 446600 Fax : 01444
446688 Email : wwwenquiry@sightsaversint.org.uk
Charity No.: 207544
Will you send your gift today?
Call the Sight Savers donation line on 07000 142020
and pledge your gift using your credit/debit card.
Or send your cheque to Sight
Savers International Grosvenor Hall, Bolnore Road, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, UK RH16
4BX and please quote SIS9811 in your coreespondence.
Or email your
credit/debit card details to wwwenquiry@sightsaversint.org.uk
and please quote SIS9811 in your correspondence. Thank you.
