The power of Internet in Blindness programs

When Vicki Mak, a doctor from New Zealand contacted me a few months ago enquiring about accommodation in Blantyre (as she had intended to spend time at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital), honestly I did not pay much attention to her request. Why would anyone have done so anyway, especially that she was going to be in Malawi for general medicine and not even intending to visit my eye department?

Well she must have been in Malawi for closer to eight weeks without my knowledge when I bumped into her at College of Medicine Computer Library: and I don’t remember exactly how it started; but when she mentioned New Zealand I asked her i she was the one who contacted me by email. Of-course she denied at first (she didn’t even remember emailing me), but after reminding her what it was all about, she went into her inbox and indeed found out that we had communicated.

She then asked what i was doing: and as usual I took the opportunity to explain to her about blindness in children and what little is being done in the community to help such children and how people like her may end up helping the programme in Malawi. After watching a video of what Blantyre Institute for community OphthalmologyBICO in Malawi is doing in creating community solutions that will ensure that blind and visual impaired children access sight restoration surgery at an earlier stage, she was hooked to the programme and couldn’t stop thinking about it.

We met several times in my department and discussed about how she could help, and we agreed that she should go and visit a blind school in Ntcheu (big mistake!!!!!).Whe she came back she could not stop thinking about the boys and girls in the blind school, and what she could do to help them. She immediately donated support items directly to the school (worth $2000); and also contacted her parents in Auckland Newzeland who also agreed to donate another $2000.As I write now, Nsialudzu blind school in Nthcheu has new mattresses and a few other things, thanks to VICKI.

We agreed that we should discuss more about how the children can be screened and provided with learning materials and glasses.Where do we meet: Hongkong restraurant in Blantyre and also in Hongkong, China where she was travelling to.

So far we have met in Blantyre and China and good progress has been made.

My hope is that the people in Nthcheu will realise that it is BICO’s effort that have resulted in improvements o their blind school.

Together we can do more.

A big thank you to Dr VICKI: a young girl with a passion to help the less preveleged.

In the picture Vicki:also a blind child from a blind school.

Are you impressed with what internet can do? are you using internet to your benefit or for the benefit of the nation?

Do you want to donate to BICO?

Contact me at : director@bicomalawi.org

Email me!

Hasn’t she grown up?

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That is my daughter Tapiwa?

Hasnt she grown up?

Started tough in life, but she is getting tougher.Like father like daughter.

Born at 7 months weighing only 900 grammes, who can believe who she is today.

If you don’t believe in miracles, Tapiwa is definitely one.

She wants to be an eye doctor.

Got to pick her from school now.

Do you want to comment?

Contact me at : director@bicomalawi.org

Email me!

What a wonderful donation to BICO

Someone just made my day today.

Would you believe that in 2011 there are still people out there who are concerned with helping the less privileged blind and visually impaired children?

Insia , a UK resident and a grandmother knows how it is to raise two normal children into adulthood. She recalls how she faced many hardships at different times in life (including being told she would be made redundant) but managed to persevere in life. This is why despite not having lived in Africa where many blind and visually impaired cataract children are unfortunate not to attend sight restoration surgery; she clearly understands the difficulties that parents of blind and visual impaired children face. This is why she decided that she was going to be supporting Blantyre Institute for community Ophthalmology BICO in Malawi in creating community solutions that will ensure that blind and visual impaired children access sight restoration surgery at an earlier stage.

Insia has and will never be rich in cash, but she is very rich in spirit that she gives even a small portion of what most people would consider to be entirely for themselves. Most of us are busy trying to enrich ourselves and take advantage of the many unfortunate.

With Insia’s contribution to BICO, a visually impaired child from a poor family in Jali in Zomba who is struggling to read the blackboard will have a pair of glasses provided by BICO, and have much clearer vision that will make their education easier.Did you know that every Albino child needs glasses to protect them from the sun and yet hardly any in Malawi wear glasses?

Indeed we can make this world a better world. Insia has just made it for someone.

With as little as £20, a secondary school child in Malawi will have a chance to have a nice pair of designer glasses and to see the board clearly for the first time in their life.

Are you impressed?

Do you want to donate?

Contact me at : director@bicomalawi.org

Email me!

Optometry Students from University of Waterloo Canada leave Blantyre Malawi

It has been a busy 8 weeks period (August-October 2011) for me and the 4 Canadians students as I had to teach them every day. So I have not travelled from Blantyre without them since August.

Well a few blind children and adults have benefited from their trip as we saw thousands of patients together.

They came under Blantyre Institute for community OphthalmologyBICO, and I did like teaching them.

Here are their experiences in Malawi:

Past Student Experiences

“The clinical experience in Malawi was absolutely invaluable, and something that we will never forget.   This experience has helped us foster a deeper and more genuine interest in the need for eye care in developing countries such as Malawi.” – A. Caiger Watson, R. Dupuis, C. Durand, and D. Walker-Optometry Students from Canada Malawi Externship, Fall 2011

For any questions about the Malawi Ophthalmology/Optometry externship or rotation, please contact us and we would be happy to answer any of your queries!

dwalker09@hotmail.com

cd_143@hotmail.com

 or me (in Malawi)

director@bicomalawi.org

I am happy that they enjoyed their stay.

Want to come to Malawi and spend some time with me?

Contact me.

Email me!

Donating glasses to visually challenged children in Malawi

One particular group that I am currently serving is the children who are albinos, as these have a lot of difficulty with their sight. Because of lack of pigment, they do find it hard to cope with the sun and their eye usually water all the time. They also have difficulty seeing. Giving them glasses helps a lot. Here I am presenting a pair of glasses to a pupil at Malosa secondary school in Zomba, Malawi. There are so many albino kids in Malawi who need your help. Blantyre Institute for community OphthalmologyBICO an organization that I direct and which is involved in a lot of eye activities that benefit the albinos from rural communities of Malawi. We currently do not have enough money to help all the children. Do you want to be involved? Then please contact me at khumbokalua@yahoo.com

What do you say? Email me!