In October, Operation Eyesight joined the global eye health community in celebrating World Sight Day and the undeniable fact that we’re “Stronger Together.” This theme carried through to the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness’ 10th General Assembly in Durban, South Africa, which I had the opportunity to attend. It was four days chock-full of meetings and presentations, including three presentations by our international staff.
I’m incredibly proud of the great work Operation Eyesight is doing at the community level, and as I listened to our staff showcase our program models and demonstrate the impact we are creating, well… I got goosebumps. And after visiting our teams in Zambia and Kenya and seeing our projects first-hand, I know that we truly are stronger together.
Our sight-saving work is possible thanks to our talented and dedicated staff across three continents, our strong relationships with local governments and partner hospitals, and, most importantly, our generous donors. Thank you all!
We’re proud of Dr. Boateng Wiafe! At the General Assembly, he was honoured as an Eye Health Hero, a tribute sponsored by Fondation L’Occitane. Dr. Bo is our Director, Quality and Advocacy, and is based in Ghana.Our work in Zambia would not be possible without this dedicated team. From left to right: Patson Tembo, Country Manager; me (Brian Foster); Chiboni Musweu, Program Coordinator; Chishimba Machaya, Management Information System Officer; and Chitengi Mihova, Finance and Administrative Officer.I had the opportunity to accompany our team on a monitoring visit to one of our water projects in Sinazongwe, Zambia. This borehole was established in 2009 in a village called Siabuswi. Thanks to our donors, families now have clean water for drinking, watering their gardens and livestock, and washing hands and faces – which helps stop the spread of the blinding eye disease trachoma.After a seven-hour car ride in 40-degree Celsius heat, I was ready for a drink from the borehole, too.I also had the opportunity to go on a monitoring visit to two of our water projects in Kenya’s Maasai Mara district. This borehole was established in a community called Olooriri and, as you can see, it’s in high demand. While their livestock drink from a trough a short distance away from the borehole, women and children form a queue by lining up their water jugs.When we first started drilling a borehole in this community in 2013, the school had about 125 students. Today, the school has over 800 students, including this Maasai girl.In Kenya, I attended a PEEK demonstration event in Kibera, the largest urban slum in Africa. PEEK is a smartphone app that stands for Portable Eye Examination Kit. I had the chance to try out the app and test someone’s vision with the “tumbling E” eye chart.We’re in the early stages of implementing our Hospital-Based Community Eye Health Program in partnership with Narok District Hospital. We’ve been working with the hospital since the early 2000s, and it was wonderful to meet some of the staff there. Together, we’re working to reach the unreached in Kenya.From left to right: Alice Mwangi, Country Manager of Kenya, Operation Eyesight; Francis, Director, Narok Eye Hospital; me (Brian Foster); Kashinath Bhoosnurmath, Global Director, Programmes, Operation Eyesight; and John Sironka, cataract surgeon.
I hope you enjoyed my photo highlights! I’d love to chat with you further about Operation Eyesight’s work in Africa, as well as India and Nepal. Send me an email – I’d love to hear from you!
