Staff, volunteers and patients from Earl Mountbatten Hospice are helping a UK charity to provide the gift of sight to the people living in a poverty stricken Kenyan community.
The charity, Friends of Buburi, founded by Jo Hanks who is the Macmillan Information and Support Centre Manager at the hospice, works closely with a community clinic in Buburi to provide affordable healthcare support to the 10,000 people living in extreme poverty and confronted by malnutrition, malaria and the devastating impact of HIV and AIDS.
Together with Jan Baum, hospice volunteer, the pair have helped organise for local firm Rutherford’s opticians in Freshwater, along with other generous donors, to collect donated spectacles which can help make a huge difference to the lives of those living in the small Western Kenyan community. With many unable to afford spectacles, the astonishing 23 kilos of donated pairs gathered, will make a significant difference to their ability to gain employment and provide food for their families.
The pair, who are flying out this Friday (12th September) to Kenya with the donations, are also taking Buburi baby bags with them. These bags were developed by the charity as an incentive for pregnant ladies from the community to attend four antenatal clinics during their pregnancy to monitor their wellbeing and pick up on any complications enabling them to go on to have a safer childbirth. The bags include a small pack containing a sterile blade (to cut the cord), a cord clamp, a clean and absorbent cover for the bed, gloves, soap, and a towel. They also contain a Katanga, washable nappies and washable, re-useable maternity pads.
Patients at the Earl Mountbatten Hospice Day Unit have also got involved, knitting large quantities of blankets and baby clothes for the new born babies.
Charity founder Jo Hanks said:
“These gifts are a lifeline to this small Kenyan community and will make a huge difference to the people who live there, helping to give their children a healthier start in life and supporting those who are trying to work to feed and provide for their families. We are so grateful for all the donations we have received and for the support of the patients here at the hospice who have generously donated their time to help this community.”
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For more information and to donate online visit https://www.friendsofbuburi.com.
Photographed: Jo Hanks with the 23 kilos of donated spectacles
