We applaud the dedication involved and applied by our ground team to ensure these eye camps exist. The care and support they provide can mean the difference between sight and darkness for many patients.

The eye camp in Lindi is a dedicated service that exists simply due to the sheer number of recorded patients. The day the team left was a mix of rain, scorching heat and plenty of traffic. The journey takes them little over 5 hours to reach Lindi from the comfort and warmth of their beds in Muhoro. They covered 465KM of road, 60KM of which is a dirt track rather than a road we may be used to. On the journey the team had the added struggle of preventing equipment and tools from bouncing around as they attempted to navigate the baron road into Lindi.

Upon arrival the team were grateful that an advance party drove to the site two days before  hand. This allowed time to prepare accomodation for the staff, prepare the facility they would be performing the cataracts surgery in and assess the citizens. There was a line of people stretching as far back as the eye could see. The volunteers who arrived early explained that people had been arriving up for the eye camp since the early hours of the morning. Whilst waiting in the queue the patients were given pamphlets by the volunteers that advised and gave details of each eye illness and conditions to enable the holder to identify what they may have had to the doctor, making the diagnosis process go faster. A total of 2,058 people turned out for the free eye clinic. All citizens wereinformed about the clinic, but some found it hard to make the journey or were simply are too weak to make the journey.

Beta Charitable Trust and its donor's supported the cataract surgery scheme. This meant that all donations made were directly allocated straight to assessing a patient for cataracts and then to ensuring that surgery was required. In total 1,759 pairs of spectacles were issued. Over 500 units of medicines were prescribed. 223 pairs of sunglasses were handed out to those with light sensitive eyes and vitamin A and B were given to patients to help prevent any further eye problems in the future.

The cataract surgeries that we supported were all performed and assessed in the Sokoinne Hospital, Lindi. 117 patients were screened for Cataracts. Firstly the patients must be screened using a piece of equipment called a slit lamp. This device shines light into the eye and can detect if there is any clouding around the eye (you can find out more about cataracts in our medical section). Out of the 117 patients that were identified as having cataracts, 72 were successfully operated on. The rest were prescribed with antibiotics and after care and advised of the dates of the next eye camp to come for another assessment. The 72 patients that were successfully operated on either could not see at all before their operation or had extremely poor vision. The operation can give sight to those who have not been able to see for up to 30 years.

Credit goes to our ever enthusiastic team of volunteers, surgeons and opticians. Our heartfelt thanks go to the donors that made the whole project possibledonating and continuing to donate to such a noble cause. Without them such projects would not be possible. If you would like to be a donor too, please click here to make a difference.