Focus on Malawi – eye care in Ekwendeni and Livingstonia

A new record Goggleworks evening!

2011-11-28T13:48:00.003Z

On Friday 25 November a brilliant team gathered for another session of glasses measuring. With focimeter (a device that measures the strength of lenses) training from Jill Paxton, the team was able to process a new record of 261 pairs of glasses in one evening. Thanks to everyone who came, and to support partners Colchester Vineyard.

250 glasses measured in one evening!

2011-10-23T20:22:00.000+01:00

Many thanks to all those who gathered on Friday 21 October to sort and measure glasses for Africa. We measured 250 – a new record for one evening! These will soon be sent on their way for dispensing to needy people in northern Malawi. Here are a few of the team...

World Sight Day 2011

2011-10-13T12:30:00.003+01:00

Today is designated World Sight Day by VISION 2020: The Right to Sight. See also this related BBC article, with some cracking photos by Sophie Gerrard.

September trip postponed

2011-09-01T21:13:00.041+01:00

A team had planned to go to Malawi in September, to do clinical work and to support some schools. Regrettably, however, we've had to delay the trip. Following a diplomatic row involving the UK government, some unrest in the country, together with a serious shortage of fuel, the advice is that the time is not right. Everybody's really disappointed – both here and in Malawi. We trust, however, that things will settle down and we can resume with our plans. In the meantime, we continue to collect glasses and other useful equipment, and send it all through the Raven Trust.

Riots in Malawi 20 July

2011-07-20T16:12:00.001+01:00

Regret to hear that there are major riots in Malawi today, in Mzuzu, Lilongwe and Blantyre. Please pray for peace and a just outcome. Also please pray for Focus on Malawi colleagues and contacts around Malawi. See BBC page on Malawi situation.

Consolidating for the future

2011-05-11T13:17:00.000+01:00

As we've emphasized elsewhere in this blog, our intention is to establish eye services that will be staffed, financed and organized locally. Fully achieving this objective may still be a way off yet, but we continue to work at laying the foundations.

Recently, we were able to visit Malawi again and do some more foundation laying. We found a source for medications in the South of the country and are working out a way to get reliable and regular deliveries to Livingstonia. We have made contact with a government hospital in Mzuzu with a view to organizing visiting eye clinics for rural people unable to afford visits to the city. We've also joined a working group that has started co-ordinating the sponsors and supporters of the Ekwendeni School for the Blind.

And taken together with the home-grown and trained ophthalmic clinical officer now in place in Livingstonia, there is good cause for believing that progress towards a sustainable future is being made!

Angella completes clinical officer training

2011-05-11T12:36:00.001+01:00

Many congratulations to Angella, who has now successfully completed her clinical officer training at Lilongwe, and is back home in Livingstonia, ready to start work at the new eye clinic there. Last week we visited her to celebrate and presented the clinic with the portable slit lamp donated by The MacNair Medical Mission Trust (see related post).

Ekwendeni Blind School children receive glasses, and more

2011-05-11T11:46:00.001+01:00

The glasses dispensed at Essex County Hospital, for the children of the Ekwendeni School for the blind (see previous post), were delivered and fitted when we visited last week. And testing showed that all the children receiving the glasses had considerably improved vision. During the visit, the gifts of clothing sent by St Stephen's, Colchester, were handed out – and eagerly received.

Glasses dispensed for children at blind school

2011-04-18T12:39:00.004+01:00

Last year, a number of children at the Ekwendeni Blind School were taken to the nearest main town (Mzuzu) to have their sight measured. They received prescriptons for glasses but none could afford to have them made. And, unfortunately, none of the second-hand glasses sent out to the nearby mission clinic were capable of dealing with the extreme visual impairment suffered by these children. Consequently, a list of the names and prescriptions were later emailed to Focus on Malawi in Colchester. The optometry department at Essex County Hospital agreed to make the required glasses at cost price to Focus on Malawi. The picture shows Dr Annette Grounds, with a box of the finished glasses. They will be taken to the children by Sue Kevan, who is visiting Malawi in April. Thank you Annette!

Goggle Works: 222 pairs of glasses measured!

2011-04-18T10:44:00.003+01:00

On 15 April, twelve people gathered for (probably) the first-ever glasses measuring party on the planet! A few focimeter experts were in attendance to train the others and quite soon everyone was measuring and labelling. But it wasn't all hard work: we watched footage of life in Malawi, and work at the Ekwendeni and Livingstonia eye clinics, fortified by exotic nibbles, with wine and coffee. At the end of the evening, 222 pairs of glasses had been measured and labelled. Thanks to everyone who came and to Caroline and family for hosting.

Thanks from Ekwendeni

2011-02-23T08:40:00.001Z

We've just received this message from Logen Kumwenda, teacher in charge at the Ekwendeni Blind School, following the recent arrival of the latest container: "I would like to acknowledge receipt of assorted clothes, childrens shoes, suncreams etc for the visually impaired today. I am very grateful for the donation and I am planning to share the items to the children anytime possibly on Saturday this week. You have really sent us good clothes that match with the ages and sizes of the chuildren who are here at school. There are 56 children now and these clothes will at least reach everyone. Greet all the congregation of St. Stephens Church in Colchester for their big and wonderul donation. May God bless them. We are again putting into prayers all those who contributed towards the donations. Thank you very much.
Logen."

More stuff for the Blind School

2011-02-02T16:21:00.001Z

Thanks again to the lovely people at St Stephen's, Colchester, who have collected more clothes for Ekwendeni Blind School. These will soon be on their way to Africa.

Spec-tacular Christmas Tree

2011-01-08T16:32:00.001Z

The people of Dunoon, Argyll, have been donating their old glasses to Focus on Malawi this Christmas. Here's a post all about it at The Raven Trust website

Some pics from the Blind School

2010-12-19T18:53:00.006Z

This child is being trained on a Braille typewriter in the school's resource room.

The school has been quite successful in finding donors in the West to help with equipment, but it's a struggle to solve accommodation problems. Here's a view of the boys' dorm, which Logen hopes to extend and refurbish soon.

Successful Blind School outreach – report

2010-12-19T18:11:00.005Z

Logen Kumwenda, the teacher-in-charge at the Ekwendeni Blind School, has reported on the outreach undertaken by the school in August 2010. They visited over nine zones in the Mzimba North educational district, finding 100 children with problems. 34 were visually impaired, 34 had hearing impairement, 16 had learning difficulties, nine had physical disabilities, two were deaf and blind, and five were multi-handicapped.

Of the 34 visually impaired, 27 had low vision, and seven were totally blind. The totally blind children were admitted to the school, while the impaired ones were sent to Mzuzu Central Eye Clinic for further assessment. Tests are free here, but they charge for treatment and/or glasses, and the prices are far too high for most families to afford. Since then, we've received a list of the children's prescriptions, so we'll be hunting through the donated second-hand glasses for good matches, and they'll despatched to Ekwendeni in one of the conatiners regularly sent by The Raven Trust.

This is a long processs, so you can see why we're keen to find and train staff to maintain permanent clinics.

Ekwendeni Blind School outreach gets government support

2010-08-17T17:56:00.006+01:00

We've recently had this encouraging report from Logen Kumwenda, teacher-in-charge at the Ekwendeni Blind School:

"Glad to inform you that because of your initiatives and support towards itinerary visits to various areas in the district which we had done twice, the [Malawi government] District Education Manager (DEM) has now funded and organised for these visits. We are scheduled start on 17th and finish on 20th August 2010 covering 12 educational zones.

I really thank you the support you had been giving which has made the DEM appreciate our job and has seen the fruits of our visits now. I really thank you for that. I have hope that next time you will do again. The resource room has new furniture now at least all children in the room will sit comfortably. Thank you and all those who donated towards that...

How are people in Colchester? How busy are you now? We have closed schools for a month holiday till September. With glasses, someone assisted us from Dunfermline in UK where I went with Mr Chihana. But after the DEMs exercise, I have hope that we will have new pupils who might require glasses. Say hie to everyone. LOGEN"

From dishwasher to Malawi

2010-08-14T16:45:00.003+01:00

The first thing we do with donated glasses is clean them up, and the best place to do that is in the dishwasher! They come out sparkling and free from the usual greasy accretions that accompany old glasses. Next job: measuring and sorting them.

Ophthalmic training report

2010-06-28T17:36:00.003+01:00

Angella, who is currently doing her training to become an ophthalmic clinical officer (posts passim), reports that she has passed her first semester exams. Congratulations Angella!

Recently, her laptop, which she uses in connection with her studies (and which was donated by the York scouts, through whom the Livingstonia clinic was financed – see post) has stopped working. Thanks go to Keith Feay, Raven Trust volunteer and x-ray machine expert, who has provided Angella with a replacement, while repairs are in progress.

Tea and Chat ladies – Rattray, Scotland

2010-04-09T22:40:00.004+01:00

Out of the blue, we've been contacted by Fionna Black, on behalf of a group of four ladies involved in outreach from Rattray Parish Church, who call themselves "Tea & Chat", providing friendship in a local sheltered housing complex.

They do not fund-raise, but everyone pays 50p for the Tea & Chat afternoon (some pay more). This year, the group wishes its donation (£260) to go to the work of the eye clinic in Livingstonia (three of the group are visually impaired, so they have particular sympathies in this area).

Thank you so much Fionna and the Tea and Chat group. This donation will go towards purchasing some specialised equipment for the Livingstonia eye clinic.

Blind School fundraising: thank you St Stephen's, Colchester

2010-04-09T21:47:00.007+01:00

Following the fundraising curry night organised by St Stephen's, New Town, Colchester (see previous post), Focus on Malawi received a total of £243, some of it Gift Aided (this was just half of the sum raised, the other amount went to the Korban Project, which supports young women at risk, in Colchester).

The Blind School was personally presented with the money this week, and the teacher in charge, Logen Kumwenda, has already emailed us with his thanks. The money will be used to buy food, to transport some pupils to a hospital for eye operations, and to upgrade teaching equipment.

Thanks go the 100 people who attended, to the organiser Chris Liddamore, the cooks, and other helpers at St Stephens. And not forgetting the Colchester Tribal Dancers who entertained everyone at no charge!

Blind School outreach support needed

2010-03-04T12:37:00.011Z

On our visits to Ekwendeni, we have always spent time at the blind school, assessing pupils to help them enhance and use what vision they have. If it weren't for the amazing work that Logen Kumwenda (teacher-in-charge) and his small team are doing, many of these kids would have no life at all. But Logen is aware of how many more children there are out in the country who would have no future – without the help the school provides. He's asking us to support a further Parent Counselling and Support programme, which will result in new, very poor children coming into the school. They'll need clothes, school equipment, as well as things for play and hobby activities. Food is often in short supply and they would appreciate having more buying power. There is also the need to get some children to the Central Hospital, where they can have simple operations to improve sight and be treated for disease.

With perfect timing, the good people of St Stephen's, Colchester, have just offered to do a fund-raising meal for FoM (it's on Saturday 13 March, for more details email me), so we've agreed to allocate all the proceeds to the Blind School. A great start to helping make Logen's plans come to fruition!

Normal play – and improvised music-making – is encouraged at the Blind School.

Angella gets course equipment

2010-03-03T12:58:00.004Z

While John Challis (The Raven Trust) was recently in Malawi, he met up with Angella (who is training for her ophthalmic clinical officer exams). Angella reported that her course was going well. At their meeting, John handed over to her a digital camera and an internet access dongle for her PC. These have been funded by Focus on Malawi to support Angella in her studies.

Portable slit lamp donated

2009-11-08T22:47:00.012Z

Shin Nippon XL-1 LED slit lamp.

One of the most important tools in optometry and ophthalmology is the slit lamp, a microscope designed for examining the eye. Usually, equipment like this is fixed to a table in a clinic and that's where it stays – so when we do remote, ad hoc clinics we have to rig up something portable. On our last visit, Jim Seymour was lent a portable slit-lamp by Paul Tyler, of Tyler Opticians, Tiptree, and he made an adjustable carriage to hold it steady. However, we are now going to be spoilt, because we have recently received a purpose-built, brand-new, portable LED slit lamp! This has been donated by The MacNair Medical Mission Trust, a charity formed by Dr Duncan MacNair, who spent many years working in Livingstonia. Dr McNair tells us that a sum of money was made available to the trust and he felt that this should be spent on equipment for the eye-care work at Livingstonia. This slit lamp will help extend the hospital's eye-care outreach work enormously. Thank you Dr McNair!

Angella is accepted for her training course

2009-10-20T19:57:00.001+01:00

Angella is a medical assistant and has been working with our visiting teams for the past couple of years, helping to develop the eye-care work at the David Gordon Memorial Hospital in Livingstonia. Now, after much anticipation, we've had official confirmation that she has been accepted on a training course to become an Ophthalmic Clinical Officer. The course is being run by the College of Health Sciences in Lilongwe and it will last for eighteen months. The cost of the course has been met by Focus on Malawi supporters. When Angella has qualified, she will be able to test patients for glasses, identify major eye diseases, treat some and refer others to relevant hospitals. The pic below shows Angella (right), with her husband and son.

Constructing a home-made carriage for a portable slit lamp

2009-08-29T10:47:00.002+01:00

Mobile clinics are necessary to reach remote communities, but this can often mean leaving behind bulky, but desirable equipment, such as the major slit-lamp microscope – universally used to examine eyes to diagnose diseases such as trachoma, pterygium (common in tropical Africa) and glaucoma.

For your information, here is a brief account of a portable set-up I produced for the 2009 trip, where we knew we would be working in a number of very remote sites.

There are excellent portable slit-lamps on the market which generally have most the capabilties of their 'fixed' consulting room cousins but when hand-held they inevitably wobble a bit and the optics magnify the wobbles quite nicely making the equipment less satisfactory. The portables also generally weigh about a kilogramme which can be rather wearing during a day's work so I set about designing a carriage for the Kowa slit-lamp to be light (needs to go in our hold baggage), simple (I'm not an engineer), usable on a standard height-adjustable hospital table and as cheap as possible. It has two horizontal pieces of hardboard separated by vertical telescopic columns made of PVC pipe bought from a hardware store. The Kowa was attached to the centre of the top board with a bolt, and the weight of the instrument countered with a springloaded toilet paper roll holder. Happily, the friction between the pipes was enough to allow the slit-lamp to move
vertically over a range of about 25 mm which was sufficient for most (if not all) patients. The traditional screw-jack height adjuster was unnecessary. For horizontal postioning the bottom board simply slides along the table. For stability the bottom board needed to be larger than the top one. It was convenient to place the battery pack (from a model shop) on the lower board.

The other half of the story was the patient's chin rest. Two G clamps were attached to the edge of the hospital table separated horizontally by about 120mm. Each clamp was attached to a vertical strut about 40 cm high made of L section extruded alluminium. The struts were attached to the G clamps with automotive hosegrips- crude but effective. Each strut had a short length of PVC pipe sliding on it, the opposite sides linked by the chin rest which was made of bent mild steel. Each strut was gripped by a powerful Bulldog clip upon which the sliding tubes rested; the clips could be moved vertically for height adjustment. There was no brow rest.

The components were attached to each other with small bolts, pieces of bent mild steel and tape, assembled on site with a multipurpose tool.

Planned improvements:-
Swivelling struts on the lower board to increase it's effective area. Quick releases on the telescopic columns so the carriage can be dismantled swiftly. Tapped studding to screw into the G clamps- more stable and eliminate hosegrips.

See a few pictures of construction and in use.

Jim Seymour BSc optometrist

We're back but the work goes on...

2009-08-28T15:47:00.004+01:00

We're safely back! Thanks to all who have been supporting and praying. Above is the new eye-clinic at Livingstonia which was completed and opened while we were there. Below is a pic of trainee Angella doing an eye examination.

Heading back home

2009-08-24T08:57:00.003+01:00

On Thursday last week, the team departed from Livingstonia and headed south to Ekwendeni for a brief stop to catch up with people there. Caroline, Jim and Sue fly back today, via Johannesburg.

The coming week

2009-08-15T13:53:00.006+01:00

The team's having a restful weekend at Livingstonia. On Monday, they'll open the new clinic, and say good-bye to Chris and Zoë, who head north for Tanzania. On Tuesday the plan is to do a day clinic at Phoka, a remote village on the western edge of the hospital's 'catchment area'. Wednesday, it's back to the new clinic.

Lakeshore clinics go well

2009-08-14T22:22:00.008+01:00

The team's visit to the remote village of Tcharo was successful with many patients seen. Jim had to clear out three wasp nests from the house they were staying in. On the way back today, the boat stopped at another remote village, which has no landing stage, so they and their equipment were carried ashore! There they did an ad hoc clinic and saw another 40 or so people. Sue reports that the pier at Tcharo looks as good as new.

A new ambulance boat, Good Hope, which arrived from Scotland this week was not, in the event, available for the trip, so they had the leaky old Robert Laws for the traditional Lake Malawi experience.

The team arrived back at Livingstonia tired and hungry, but Robert (the local restaurateur) had prepared them a tasty meal with chicken.

Settlements along the shore of Lake Malawi, some only accessible on foot or by boat.

View from above...

2009-08-13T14:14:00.000+01:00

A map showing places mentioned in recent posts. Original pic from Google Maps.

Earthquake!

2009-08-11T21:26:00.022+01:00

Sue reports that, at around 1am this morning, the team was woken by some seismic shaking in their house at Livingstonia. Nothing was damaged (in their new house) but, in the old place where John Challis is staying, lumps of plaster were falling off. Take a look at the US Geological Survey site for details of the earthquake. It appears that its centre was east-south-east of Livingstonia, in the middle of the lake. Apart from a minor landslip on the Gorodi Road, I have no other reports of damage.

This week: lakeside clinics, with boat trip

2009-08-09T21:31:00.013+01:00

The team is heading down the Gorodi Road to do clinics at various locations along the lake this week (while the Scouts make the finishing touches to the eye-clinic before they depart on Thursday). They're at Mlowe Monday, then they do two day-clinics at Luwuchi. The exciting trip is the one to Tcharo, which is only accessible by boat.

Mlowe from the water, departure point for the coast trip south to Tcahro.

Eye-clinic nears completion, Scouts make it happen

2009-08-05T10:44:00.018+01:00

Sue's just emailed to say that "The eye-clinic is very nearly finished: it's going to be perfect to use. We'll be moving in there probably on Monday, and we'll be using the primary health care building, as last year, until then."

As mentioned in a previous post, the eye-clinic building was paid for through fund-raising by a Scout group from York, UK. That group, 30 Explorer Scouts and leaders, is now camping in Livingstonia, busy doing many jobs, including finishing off the eye-clinic, as well as new accommodation for visitors (the eye-team are the first guests!). For more info on the Scouts' visit, see their blog and website.

David Gordon Memorial Hospital, Livingstonia, courtesy Google Earth.

2009 team arrives in Malawi

2009-08-03T16:40:00.005+01:00

Caroline, Jim, Chris, Zoë and Sue have arrived safely in Malawi. Caroline visited the hospital in Nkhoma today, and we've had news that one of the trainees will be able to start their course later this year (but final confirmation from the college is still required).

250 ready-readers donated for 2009 visit

2009-07-30T12:29:00.004+01:00

Many thanks to Mike at Williams Optometrists, Benfleet, for their generous donation of 250 ready readers for our trip, which starts Saturday. We've begun stashing these in various corners of our baggage. They will make 250 people very happy.

Focus on Malawi on BBC Radio Essex!

2009-07-14T08:20:00.004+01:00

Many thanks to Ray Clark at BBC Radio Essex for featuring Focus on Malawi on his breakfast show this morning. If any of you heard the interview and would like to know more about what we do and how you could help, send me an e-mail.

Livngstonia eye/dental clinic building progress

2009-07-06T20:30:00.004+01:00

More news on the eye/dental clinic building: we've Just heard from John Challis in Livingstonia that the walls are up, and the roof trusses are on, and they're now waiting for the metal roofing sheets.

New eye and dental clinic being built in Livingstonia

2009-06-09T10:31:00.005+01:00

Plans for a permanent eye clinic at Livingstonia are moving forward! Our picture above shows the footings and slab of the new building being completed. The building was designed by architect Daniel Challis and will provide enough room for a simple eye-clinic and dentistry facility. Building work continues, and we are looking forward to seeing whether it'll be ready for use in August!

More ophthalmic equipment donated

2009-06-08T21:01:00.005+01:00

We have been hoping to find the necessary instruments to equip the soon-to-be completed eye-clinic facility at Livingstonia. Following a conversation with Wendy Deeks, equipment co-ordinator at Vision Aid Overseas, she has bee able to locate and send us the following:

an indirect ophthalmoscope
two Perkins (Type 1) tonometers
two focimeters
three retinoscopes and 2 spare handles
two cases of trial lenses for clinic use
one case of trial lenses for portable use
five trial frames
near vision test types (charts)
an assortment of dispensing tools and equipment.

Thank you Wendy, for this amazing donation. All this equipment will be used in a part of the country where there is still no eye-care.

South Africa Airways: not so generous!

2009-06-07T21:50:00.001+01:00

Sadly, we've heard from SAA that they'll be unable to give us any additional baggage allowance for this trip. That is a great pity, but we'll just have to manage the best we can.

South Africa Airways: please be generous!

2009-06-02T14:52:00.006+01:00

When we head for Malawi again this August, we shall do so with baggage stuffed to the limit with old glasses and ophthalmic equipment, and with minimal personal items. In previous years we have been given generous additional baggage allowance by the airline concerned. This year, for the first time, we've decided to fly with South Africa Airways as the flights were more convenient for us. We have made a request for additional baggage allowance, but haven't heard from them yet.
We're hoping that SAA will be able to let us know soon, so that we can prepare appropriately.

New screening device for cataracts to be trialled

2009-06-02T14:26:00.005+01:00

We have recently been approached by Duncan Campbell, who has developed, with George Strang, a new device for cataract detection. Their company, Catatrac Ltd, has given us some of these to take to Malawi this year to trial in the field.

We shall be seeing if this device – about the size of a medium torch – can be effectively used by local staff when assessing patients.

Team visit 2009

2009-05-12T15:46:00.003+01:00

Flights are booked ready for our 2009 visit to Malawi. This year there wll be five of us; Dr Caroline Sheldrick (who visted in 2007), Jim Seymour (an optometrist on the team last year), Chris Ambrose and Zoe Rutter-Locher (medical students) and me! Our trip will start on August 1st for three weeks and we plan on doing more work in Livingstonia, helping at some more remote lakeside villages.

Are you collecting glasses?

2009-02-07T13:45:00.002Z

Are you collecting glasses for Focus on Malawi at a hospital, opticians, surgery, church or club? To help explain to potential donors what Focus on Malawi is all about, we've produced a loose-leaf booklet on how glasses will find their way to needy individuals in Malawi. The booklet can be placed alongside collection boxes. If you'd like one, send us an email.

Scouts in York raise money for eye clinic building in Livingstonia

2009-01-31T21:43:00.002Z

Anne Shannon, who runs a Scout group in York, tells us that she and her troop are visiting Malawi this year, and will be camping at Livingstonia. Their plan is to do lots of practical work, including painting and decorating, in the David Gordon Memorial Hospital. Anne has also been incredibly busy fundraising: she has managed to raise £15,000 from various grant-making bodies for the specific purpose of constructing an eye and dental-care building! This is wonderful news and means that there could be and eye-clinic at Livingstonia, with trained local staff, working within the coming year.

Kay Picture Test packs donated

2009-01-19T13:15:00.004Z

Many thanks to the people at Kays Picture Tests who have kindly donated five sets of their Single Logmar books and associated test cards. These are now on their way to Malawi. The kids have no difficulties with recognising the shapes, despite living in a very different environment and culture – although, when the apple is indicated, they usually say 'tomato'.

Training is the priority for 2009

2008-12-12T23:56:00.003Z

Our overall objective is to have eye clinics running in Ekwendeni and Livingstonia without the need for visiting professionals from abroad. So training for local staff is the big priority. The next step is to get two clinical officers on an ophthalmology course, after which they will be able to treat eye diseases and do cataract surgery. The courses cost $7000 for each attendee. At the same time, we plan to have a technician trained for the manufacture and dispensing of glasses. A trainee has been identified and we need only to raise funds for his living costs (the course is free). The courses start in September 2009, so we aim to have raised the funds by July ’09. If you are interested in supporting training and would like to know more, do contact Sue K.

Witham URC raises £200 for training

2008-10-29T20:40:00.005Z

Last Saturday (25 October 2008), Witham's URC church staged a concert of music, sketches and comedy. The concert starred children and grown-ups and its purpose was to raise money for one of their young people's groups (GAC), as well as for an external cause. We're pleased to say that, this year, that cause was Focus on Malawi! At the end of the concert, Peter Howard, the organiser and GAC leader, presented us with a gift of £200! Thank you to Peter and to GAC for the gift and for the amazing amount of work that went into making the concert such a success – and to the big audience that attended. The gift will go towards our fund for training clinical officers in Malawi.

More work at Ekwendeni and Livingstonia; first eye clinic at lakeshore

2008-08-26T09:21:00.019+01:00

The 2008 team has just returned from the fourth Focus on Malawi trip. At Ekwendeni Hospital, Sue Kevan and Jim Seymour did a number of clinics, taking time to train local staff, and visited the blind school. At Livingstonia Hospital (David Gordon Memorial Hosptial), they did some ad hoc clinics in a spare room.

For the first time, a day-long clinic was done in a remote village health clinic on the lakeshore below Livingstonia. Many people were seen and it was good to demonstrate what could be achieved with some portable equipment, plus boxes of second-hand glasses and ready-readers. The people in this area have little or no access to eye-care. Again, Sue and Jim were able to train local medical assistants who will be able to do further work in the future.

We'll post more info on the trip in the following days. Thanks again to all donors, supporters and pray-ers!

Malawi trip 2008

2008-08-21T13:00:00.000+01:00

The next visit to Ekwendeni and Livingstonia Hospitals is set for August 24th to September 13th. We're now stuffing our luggage to the limit with second-hand glasses, ready-readers and optical equipment. This is in addition to all the glasses, cases and pieces of equipment shipped out via Raven Trust containers over the past year. So there should be plenty for us to do when we get there. The picture shows some of the many second-hand glasses donated at Boots, Basildon, and supplied to us measured and labelled by Hazel Skeet, their dispensing optician.

Some more pictures from the 2007 trip

2008-04-22T21:22:00.010+01:00

I've finally put together some slideshows of pictures from our trip last year. These should show you a bit of what we did, while providing an idea of the local needs.

• Ekwendeni Hospital eye-clinic set up
• Ekwendeni School for the Blind
• Livingstonia: one-day clinic
• The latest container from The Raven Trust

October 2007 visit to Ekwendeni and Livingstonia

2008-01-20T15:42:00.002Z

This year, the team was able start work in Ekwendeni's, as yet unused, purpose-built, eye-clinic rooms. Before opening for business, and while setting up the equipment that had arrived during the year (or had been stuffed in our baggage), there was a good opportunity to give some training to a clinical officer and two nurses keen to be involved with ophthalmic work.

Halfway through our visit, we travelled north to Livingstonia, which has a small hospital, but no eye care. Here we set up a day-long, ad-hoc clinic, seeing 85 people.

Again, we were able to involve and train some local staff interested in ophthalmology. We also discussed with the hospital director the feasibility of establishing some sort of eye service at Livingstonia.

Back in Ekwendeni, it was two more days of clinics before having to head for home. We were pleased that the guys who worked with us during our stay there were, by the time we left, able to do basic eye tests and dispense glasses from the second-hand stock. This was the primary objective when all this started – to have a self-sustaining eye clinic in Ekwendeni!

While in Ekwendeni, we also made a much-anticipated return visit to the Ekwendeni Blind School. Here, with limited resources, staff are doing an amazing job. They care for and nurture a bunch of children whose lives, if it weren't for the school, would be wretched. We tested the new intake of children, diagnosing eye conditions, finding glasses for some, and low vision aids for others.

Now some thanks: to all of you who supported financially, your contributions have gone directly to the work in Malawi, via the Raven Trust; to donors of glasses and those in hospitals who organise glasses collections; to Williams Optometrists for the supply of equipment and instruments.

2007 Team

2007-10-22T22:40:00.000+01:00

The 2007 eye team pictured on arrival at Lilongwe (left to right): Dr Caroline Sheldrick, Sue Kevan, John Kevan and Kerry Merchant.

2007 visit to Ekwendeni

2007-09-23T19:34:00.000+01:00

A party is heading for Malawi this October. It includes Kerry Merchant, an optometrist and orthoptist working at Southend Hospital and Williams Optometrists; and Dr Caroline Sheldrick, an ophthalmologist at Essex County Hospital, Colchester.
We will be conducting eye clinics at Ekwendeni Hospital, working alongside and helping to train the local clinicians. While there, we'll continue to explore with the hospital how best to establish a permanent eye clinic, managed locally.
We will also take the opportunity to conduct some clinics at Livingstonia Hospital, and if possible, at some remote villages.

Thanks for your support

2007-09-23T19:25:00.000+01:00

Over the past twelve months, various friends, colleagues and contacts have continued to donate a wide range of useful optical things and general hospital supplies. Harwich Hospital has a box into which patients can drop old glasses. The medical supply department at Colchester Hospital makes available out-of-date but still usable consumables. Williams Optometrists are busy scrounging useful dispensing equipment. Here's what's been sent to Malawi this year (or is in transit):

hundreds of pairs of spectacles
lens cutter
optical mirrors
Snellens vision charts
unglazed new frames
more items from the closed-down Harwich Hospital
medical dressings and equipment.

Our special thanks go to friends who have donated money towards the project. This cash will be used in Malawi for equipment and training.

650 pairs of glasses dispensed

2006-11-05T22:36:00.000Z

Here's just one of the 800 people we saw during our recent visit to Malawi. Of those, over 650 received glasses. In addition to examining and dispensing, we spent long hours cleaning, sorting and measuring the donated glasses ready for the clinics.

The weather was great, we were looked after well, no-one got bitten or eaten, and we had a little time off by the lake at the end of our stay. Many thanks to David, Marie, Mike and Sarah who were such brilliant companions and workers on this expedition. And they're even thinking about going back again! In due course, I'll be creating a separate page, linked to this blog, to provide those interested with a more detailed account of the trip.

500+ glasses dispensed

2006-10-19T19:31:00.000+01:00

Work continues fast and furious: so far the the team has dispensed over 500 pairs of glasses. This weekend they will be taking a break by the lake before travelling home, ETA Heathrow 6.45am Tuesday, 24 October.

The team has started work in Ekwendeni

2006-10-05T15:38:00.000+01:00

The team arrived safely in Ekwendeni and they've begun to do some clinics. I understand there's a visit to the Vwaza game reserve this weekend (John K).

Team takes off for Malawi visit 2006

2006-10-03T12:02:00.000+01:00

Here are Marie Devine, Sarah Douglas, Sue Kevan, David Dixon and Mike Parsons at Heathrow's Terminal 4, ready to check in for their flight to Malawi, Monday, 1 October 2006. The luggage is stuffed tight with all sorts of gear (leaving little room for the personal wardrobe!) that will be useful in Ekwendeni as they do clinics and help develop the eye clinic there. Thanks again to the many people who have donated equipment and resources for this trip.

More generous help

2006-09-16T10:28:00.000+01:00

We have just received donations which cover the cost of storage and transport of the redundant hospital equipment, mentioned in a previous post. Many thanks to those who have made this possible. The equipment is being delivered next week to a warehouse in Gloucester before onward shipping to Malawi.

Malawi gets debt cancellation

2006-09-16T10:18:00.000+01:00

After years of waiting, Malawi has finally got cancellation of some of its huge and crippling debts. To read more about this, go to the full story on the Jubilee Debt Campaign web site.

Equipment received from closed hospital

2006-08-22T23:03:00.000+01:00

Thanks go to the nice people at Harwich Hospital (this hospital is currently transferring to a brand new building), who have allowed me to take my pick of equipment that is no longer required. We now have a full truckload of stuff including curtains, chairs, crutches and operating theatre equipment in storage, ready for shipping to Malawi. Particular thanks to Jay, David and Heather at Harwich who made the necessary arrangements and also to the guys who delivered it all.

Donated equipment sent off

2006-07-31T23:21:00.000+01:00

From previous posts, you'll see that many people have been collecting or donating equipment and glasses for Ekwendeni Hospital. Here's a pic of John Challis loading his car with stuff from Harwich and the Colchester area. All this, and much more, were subsequently loaded in a container and shipped off to Africa in July 2006. The big box should have arrived in Ekwendeni by the time we arrive there in October.

Some generous donations

2006-07-31T21:26:00.000+01:00

Grateful thanks go to MasterAid for the donation the company has made: we'll be able to buy a lot of new reading glasses with this money. Thanks also to John Ferrier Optometrists in Scotland for donating some old, but very useable equipment. Many thanks also to a generous e-bayer!

The next trip

2006-07-03T18:21:00.000+01:00

In October this year I'll be visiting Ekwendeni again, but not on my own.

Two optometrists plus a dispensing optician will be coming with me. We'll have two weeks at the hospital and then spend some time visiting the area.

People have been collecting glasses all year, the A & E Department at Harwich Hospital has been really supportive. The nursing sister has organised a glasses collection point, which is fantastic. The Raven Trust has been sending glasses out, so there should be a good supply waiting for us, however, more glasses are always needed.

I'm in touch with a few of the optical suppliers with regard to donations of equipment, so hopefully it won't be long before Ekwendeni has its own glasses dispensing department.

Famine

2005-10-25T20:55:00.000+01:00

You may have seen recent news broadcasts and newspaper articles describing the famine which Malawi is facing at the moment. The rains failed last season, giving a very poor maize harvest. Timely warnings about the consequences of this were announced, but largely fell on deaf ears. Now, with the earthquake in Pakistan affecting so many people and capturing the world's attention, Malawi could so easily be overlooked – and become a quiet tragedy.

I have received an e-mail from friends in Malawi giving the current situation: follow this link for the full text.

Please think and pray about what your reponse could be.

Great news - 10,000 lenses

2005-07-11T12:33:00.000+01:00

Last month the Raven Trust was given a donation to purchase 10,000 uncut optical lenses at a very good price. These are now sitting in the Trust's warehouse in Strachur, waitng for the right time to ship them out, (the building work hasn't started yet). This stock will form the foundation of the dispensing clinic. All we need now is the equipment...

We really can make a difference

2005-07-04T20:24:00.000+01:00

How can a little eye clinic in a little town, in a little country in Africa, make a real difference to any of the problems the African continent is facing?

Of course, the clinic won't solve everything but, for the people living in that town who can now see when before they couldn't, it will make all the difference in the world!

When people have glasses, they can see, and when they can see, they can learn to read. (Primary education is available to all in Malawi, Secondary education has to be paid for).

If they can read, they can get an education and then be able to support themselves and their dependants.

You can help get equipment

2005-06-14T22:17:00.001+01:00

• Collect old glasses. Gather your own, your parents', your grandparents', your friends', your teachers', your work colleagues', members of your church's – anybody's! – old glasses and/or cases and send them to The Raven Trust's headquarters. If you know the prescription, then write it on some paper and attach it to the glasses. It'll save a lot of time and work for the staff at Ekwendeni Hospital.

• Visit your local optometrist or hospital eye department. Ask if they have any old stock or equipment they would kindly donate. If your're not sure whether equipment is suitable or needed, e-mail me to check.

• Start a glasses collecting campaign. You could enlist the help of your local paper/radio. With the G8 summit about to start in Scotland, and the 'Make Poverty History' campaign, now is a good time.

• Start fundraising. Money to buy large pieces of equipment, or to pay for shipping. Make cheques out to The Raven Trust.

• Remember you really can make a difference. Containers are being sent out regularly. The next one is going on June 30th. Patients at Ekwendeni hospital could be benefitting from your donation by the end of July!

What's needed

2005-06-13T22:10:00.000+01:00

• A new building. This would also accommodate a new dental clinic. Provisional plans have been drawn up and these are being looked at. There would be two rooms for the eye clinic, one for examinations and possibly minor operations, the other for glasses dispensing. This second room would be sub divided to provide workshop space for glazing etc as well as storage.

• Equipment to go in it. Everything from blackout blinds or curtains, sinks and taps, through to slit lamps, ophthalmoscopes, retinoscopes and all other refraction and manufacturing equipment.

• Second hand glasses. Particularly single focus reading glasses in good condition. However all glasses would be useful because the frames can be reglazed with a new prescription.

• Old glasses cases and chains. Especially necessary for reading glasses.

• Cleaning cloths.

• Surplus stock/travellers' samples/last seasons' frames.

We want to improve on this a little!

The vision for an eye clinic at Ekwendeni

2005-06-13T21:48:00.000+01:00

Access to sight testing for glasses is beyond the reach of tens of thousands of people in the North of Malawi. Dr Lungu, Ekwendeni Hospital's clinical director has a vision to provide a permanent eye clinic, with basic sight testing facilities, plus glasses dispensing and manufacture. He also plans to have surgical equipment in place so that when an overseas team such as 'Sight Savers' comes to visit, everything would be ready for them.

Modesta Nvula – a happy lady!

2005-06-10T22:28:00.000+01:00

Modesta Nvula - Mama Nvula - lives way out west by the Zambian border, four hours drive through the bush from Ekwendeni. She is a key worker in her church but has been unable to see to read books for the past five years, particularly her beloved Bible. Friends heard that I was visiting and brought her to see me and I was able to fix her up with a pair of reading glasses. She was over the moon and sat and read her Bible for the next four hours, non-stop!

Ekwendeni Hospital - April 2005

2005-06-10T21:55:00.000+01:00

To date, the hospital has been unable to provide any permanent eye care services, beyond dealing with infections and identifying cataracts. My objective, in conjunction with the hospital manager, was to identify what kind of service could be developed and the kind of equipment and training that would be needed to maintain it.

While there, I had an opportunity – with medical assisstants Wesley Mahuka and Cullen Nyirongo – to do some basic sight testing for about 100 people, mostly hospital staff and other professional people in the town, who needed reading glasses. Of course, we were unable to provide specific prescriptions, so found the best matches from a box of second-hand glasses supplied by donors in Scotland and delivered by the Raven Trust, and from those I took with me.

It was amazing that such a basic service was beyond the means of most professionals, let alone the ordinary working people.

Staff gave me a tour of the hospital to see what other work it is involved in (see the Emmanuel healthcare web link for more details on the hospital). Nursing staff who run a monthly mother and baby outreach clinic invited me to go out with them. Children were weighed, had a health check and were vaccinated (see photos). They made me assistant pharmacist for the day and I gave out paracetamol, drugs for malaria, intestinal worms, conjunctivitis plus vitamins.

Another day out was spent with the HIV/Aids workers, visiting two income generation projects, plus a village orphan-feeding programme.

Thanks to people who helped

2005-05-05T15:10:00.000+01:00

Williams Optometrists, Benfleet, Essex, who supplied 60 pairs of reading glasses plus sight testing equipment and a focimeter (used to measure the power of glasses).

Jim Seymour, optometrist, aviator and sailor, a regular Fellowship Afloat volunteer, who supplied trial frames.

Jill Paxton, optometrist, working at Essex County Hospital who supplied sight testing equipment and vision charts.

Paula Bradshaw, orthoptist, my head of department at ECH who let me take three weeks' annual leave.

How I got into this

2005-05-05T12:21:00.000+01:00

One day, Sue Challis, an old friend of ours, said "We really need some help at the hospital, it provides no eye care at all!" Three months later I was on a plane to Africa, my baggage stuffed full to excess with instruments and with a brief to "have a look round and see what might be done". Sue Challis and her husband John run The Raven Trust which brings practical support to a range of projects in Malawi.