The
Abu Gebeiha eye care out reach team.
In late April 2010 a Together for Sudan sponsored team including two
ophthalmic surgeons, two medical assistants, two theatre assistants and
a refractorist carried out a ten day Eye Care Outreach at Abu Gebeiha, a
remote village in the Nuba Mountains of South Kordofan. They were
accompanied by TfS Field Representative Ibrahim Ahmed Jabir, a mild
mannered and thoughtful individual with natural authority who is
respected by local communities as well as government authorities.
Provided with transportation by the Sudanese Red Crescent, it took the
TfS team nearly 12 hours on a very rough ungraded track to reach Abu
Gebeiha where they were enthusiastically welcomed by local officials,
village leaders and several hundred villagers.
It was the first ever Eye Care Outreach in the area and one grateful old
man said simply, “We had no one to help us so we prayed you would come.”
Over the next ten days the medical team examined 1,063 people, operated
on 252 for cataracts, provided medications for a variety of eye and
other needs, gave 292 people reading glasses and referred ten
individuals – mainly children – to Khartoum for further treatment. The
213 individuals still in need of eye surgery were scheduled for follow
up.
The
need for eye care was very great for some that came forward..
Meanwhile, the relatives of a man who had been blind for 13 years due to
cataracts were so grateful when his bandages were removed and he could
see again that they gave the TfS team a sheep for their supper. Funding
for the outreach was provided to Together for Sudan by the Austrian
charity Light for the World which has worked closely with us for several
years.
TfS Director Lillian Craig Harris was greatly disappointed when volcanic
ash across Europe delayed her arrival in Sudan, thus preventing her
attendance at the Abu Gebeiha outreach. However, Dr. Harris cheered up
significantly when told about the 12 hour journey over a deeply rutted
road to reach Abu Gebeiha. She is said to have been further consoled for
her non attendance when she learned that bandits have recently taken to
shooting at cars along the route.
See more images of this eye care outreach here
What you can do: Donations in any amount are much
appreciated. But please consider whether you are able to support work
such as this – and contribute to maintaining peace in Sudan – by
providing regular donations. Regular donations allow us to plan ahead
and work more effectively.
Contact us now :-
enquiries@togetherforsudan