Northampton 80 Lions Club See Eye To Eye With Local Charity

Northampton 80 Lions Club has joined forces with a local charity ‘1to3’ to bring sight relief to seventy three children and adults in one of the poorest countries in Africa, the Gambia.

The charity ‘1to3’ was set up by a retired nurse with the aim to support child welfare and education in the community of Wellingara in the Gambia.

In 2005 ‘1to3’ purchased land to build a health clinic incorporating examination rooms, anti-natal clinic, maternity ward, delivery rooms and a minor injury ward for the community and raised sufficient funds to complete the building work in October 2008.

Just prior to the opening of the health clinic, an eye survey of the 400 children attending the 1to3 sponsored Nursery School was conducted by Sight Savers. Unfortunately, there were insufficient funds to pay for the medication to treat the conditions and the families of the infected children.

Hearing of this problem through ‘1to3’ Trustee and Treasurer and Northampton 80 Lions Club member Lion Greg Keevil, the Club agreed to donate £1,250, of which £500 was donated from the 105M Charity fund, to complete the treatment.

This has allowed the sight of the 400 children to be re-examined, revealing 64 with complaints varying from bacterial conjunctivitis to trachoma. This was followed by the examination of the wider family of the affected children to limit the potential for cross infection.

Thanks to the generosity of the Lions of 105M and the Lions of Northampton 80 in particular, 73 children and adults have received treatment for their eye complaints, including one lady diagnosed with cataracts which have been successfully removed.