Glasses Distribution Round Two

The first event went so well, and so many more people were requesting glasses, that we decided to do it again! Eyes on Africa was kind enough to donate a second shipment of glasses. Again, we gave small lessons on how to properly take care of the glasses and how to use them before anyone actually received their pair. 

Then we had patients come up and test their eye strength and matched them to the correct lenses. We gave out over 170 pairs of glasses this round, and there are still more that we continue to give away. People are so thankful and appreciative! They put the glasses on and the smile lights up their face as they say things like, “I can see it!” or “It is all clear now!” There are lots of hugs, vigorous handshakes, and thank you's.

One of the best parts of the event, for me, was helping my counterpart sell glasses cases as a source of income. She is a volunteer nurse at the health center, living at the hospital and thus working all sorts of hours. She is dedicated and extremely hard working, she truly does it all—from assisting with births, to giving injections, dressing wounds, applying IVs, giving medicine, attending to patients, and cleaning the center—for no pay. Not only does she volunteer full time at the hospital, she must also find time to manage her farm. She is also now responsible for supporting and taking care of (and feeding) her brother’s wife and one-year-old child, who have recently come to live with her. She takes care of the baby while the mother is at school during the day. This extra strain has been difficult on her financially, even though she is more than happy to do it. So when the opportunity of making and selling cases presented itself, she took it. She made over 100 USD in the first day and sold all the cases that she made. She pulled me aside and told me, “Allely, thank you for what you have done for me. I don’t have words to express my thanks. What you have done is a very good thing. It has made me to be so happy. I can now pay for my sister’s schooling. I am so grateful.” Of course, she was the one to actually do the work and make the cases, but nevertheless, I was, and am, so touched by her appreciation and am so happy to have helped her in some small way.