Download Wiping out trachoma River blindness

Focus
Your magazine from
Autumn 2015
Wiping out trachoma
You’re part of the largest
infectious disease mapping
project in history
River blindness
You can help end this disease
in the next ten years
Thank you for all
we have achieved
Get involved
With every share or retweet
you can help us reach more
people, raise more money
and save more sight.
Like us on Facebook
SightsaversIreland
I have been Chief Executive of
Sightsavers Ireland for two years now.
And I am so proud when I look at
everything loyal Irish supporters have
achieved in this time. On page 4 you can
meet Nahbila, whose entire community
has been protected from river blindness.
While on page 6 you can read about the incredible
opportunity we have to eliminate trachoma by 2020.
Thanks to you, a world in which people are free from these
terrible, blinding diseases is within our grasp. But your
amazing generosity doesn’t stop there. Your continued
donations to our A Million Miracles appeal have so far
funded 12,281 sight-saving operations. On page 15 you
can meet young Saif, whose life has been transformed.
Although we still have many challenges ahead, I’m thrilled
that together we’re achieving results.
Thank you for the hope you give.
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Keep in touch
We always like to hear from
you, so please get in touch
with your news, thoughts
and feedback:
email
[email protected]
(Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm)
How we use your donations
Autumn 2015
4
You can eliminate
river blindness
An end to this awful
disease is in sight
6
The Global Trachoma
Mapping Project
Help us wipe the
infection off the map
10
You are inspiring
community change
Promoting eye care
in Guinea Bissau
12
Some of our amazing
supporters
Fundraising efforts from
around the country
14
Junior painters
Our schools competition
has been a great success
15
A Million Miracles
You’re making more
miracles happen
telephone
1850 60 20 20
Michael Marren
Chief Executive, Sightsavers Ireland
Focus
write to
inside this issue…
6
4
15
Sightsavers
70 Upper George’s Street
Dún Laoghaire
Co. Dublin
And we’re proud that the vast majority of every
€1 donated goes directly to our projects.
94.5c is spent on our vital work
5c grows awareness and helps
raise the next €1
0.5c keeps us running
Our cover shows trachoma screening in Sudan −
Ophthalmic Medical Assistant Ahmed Elsheikh carefully
checks a villager for signs of trachoma, as part of The Global
Trachoma Mapping Project. On page 6 you can read more
about the unique chance you have to be part of eliminating
this painful and blinding infection in just five years.
2
Thanks for
your support!
www.sightsavers.ie
Sightsavers is fully committed to The
Statement of Guiding Principals for
Fundraising and also fully adheres
to the Dóchas Code of Conduct on
Images and Messaging.
Front cover image: ©Kate Holt/Sightsavers
10
Images clockwise from top left: ©Mike Goldwater/Sightsavers, ©Kate Holt/Sightsavers, ©Tim McDonnell/Sightsavers, ©Balla Musa Joof/Sightsavers
3
You can eliminate river blindness
Your donations have brought us so close! Now we’re
confident you can help wipe it out in just ten years
“I hold my grandmother’s hand to help her
because she can’t see. I like to fetch water for
her to drink. When I grow up I want to be a
farmer and work in the field. I am very happy to
have treatment that will stop me going blind like
my grandmother. If I was blind I know it would
always be very dark and I would be frightened.”
It’s not often you hear that a disease has
been completely eliminated – it’s just not
an everyday occurrence, not even a lifetime
one! That’s why we’re so excited. You can
help us eliminate river blindness. Not only
that, we believe it can happen by 2025.
Elimination is in sight!
Caused by blackfly
But there’s still a long way to go. While some
regions are close to elimination, there are still
many where the disease is rife. Your donations
ensure more people like Julianna feel
reassured that their children and grandchildren
are protected from harmful diseases.
River blindness is an infectious disease
caused by blackfly that live by fast-flowing
rivers. When a fly bites, it transmits tiny worms
under the skin, causing intense itchiness.
When the worms die they can cause
inflammation around the body. If this happens
in the eye it leads to blindness.
Julianna is one of the 37 million people in
the world already affected by this agonising
disease. She lives in Bamenda, Cameroon
close to her three children and twelve
grandchildren. We got to chat to Julianna, her
son Buma and her six-year-old granddaughter
Nahbila to see how river blindness has
affected them.
With your continued support the elimination
of river blindness is achievable. Working with
partners around the world, we’ve already
managed to eliminate the disease in many
regions of Uganda, Nigeria and Mali.
River blindness causes intense itching and inflammation,
which can lead to blindness
“I have been sick for more than twenty years,”
Julianna told us, “I have been having pains all
over and my whole body is itching. I first had
problems with one eye and kept going to see
an eye doctor but my eyes were not good. I
have been completely blind for seven years.
The night and day are the same. I can’t tell the
difference. All I know is the pain in the skin.”
Julianna’s family protected
We know how to treat it, we just need help
getting the treatment to those who need it
most and with your support, we can reach
elimination – and you can be part of history!
So watch out river blindness, we’re coming
to get you!
Read more about river blindness at
sightsavers.ie
Globally, 120 million people are at
risk of contracting river blindness
and 37 million are already infected
Thanks to your support,
Nahbila is protected every
year against river blindness
All images: ©Mike Goldwater/Sightsavers
4
Nahbila leads her grandmother Julianna by the hand to
travel around their village
Because of donations like yours, there is now
treatment available in Julianna’s village, which
means her children and grandchildren are
protected from river blindness. This treatment
is called Mectizan®, and distributing it in
the village has stopped river blindness in its
tracks. The infection can be treated with a
single tablet, taken once or twice a year for
10-15 years. It costs just 8c per person to
distribute. Being so close to her grandmother,
Nahbila knows how important her own sight is.
120 million
Nahbila, Buma and Julianna outside their home in
Bamenda, Cameroon
“I am very angry
about losing my
sight. I used to be
a farmer, but now I
can’t do anything.”
The Global Trachoma
Mapping Project
You’ve been part of the largest infectious disease
mapping exercise of all time
Wiped off the map
Trachoma is an incredibly painful bacterial
infection and the world’s leading infectious
cause of blindness. It is spread by flies,
touch and clothing. The disease is especially
common in areas with little or no sanitation.
Since 2012, the mapping project has
been trying to identify where in the world
trachoma is most prevalent. This ambitious
task involves a huge collaboration of
organisations such as Sightsavers,
World Health Organization, ministries of
health, academics, scientists and disease
experts. The project involved training
health workers to gather data using
smartphones. We’ve already logged nearly
1,400 districts in 22 countries – a unique
and significant achievement in itself.
Dr Elkhair’s team
Dr Bilghris Elkhair is the national coordinator
for trachoma mapping in Sudan. She explains
how the work is carried out.
“In every village we select 30 houses
neighbouring each other. We examine
every household member except for babies
under one year old. If we find any signs of
Repeated infections cause scarring that
makes the eyelashes turn inward. They
scrape the eyeball painfully with every blink,
eventually causing blindness. More than 21
million people suffer from trachoma. But due
to out-of-date or non-existent data, many
more have remained unidentified – until now.
trachoma we assess how advanced it is
and either provide ointment or refer the
person for treatment. We also check for
other eye conditions such as cataract. All the
information we collect is sent for data analysis
as part of the mapping project.”
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We know where help is needed. With
the information we’ve gained we’re more
determined than ever to meet the World
Health Organization goal of eliminating
trachoma by 2020. Donations like yours
were such an important part of this
mapping project – now you can help wipe
trachoma off the map completely.
ANM151
3 About me:
1 Here is my donation of:
Date
Please return your completed form to: Sightsavers,
70 Upper George’s Street, Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin
Please allow 14 working days for processing of donations and issuing of acknowledgements. Your donation will be used to support our
work wherever the need is greatest. Company registered number 377692 and registered charity number CHY 15437.
An elderly woman has her eyes checked for signs of
trachoma, as part of The Global Trachoma Mapping Project
you’re supporting
The mapping project is due to complete
in October 2015. It gives us an amazing
opportunity to provide treatment more
efficiently and effectively than ever before.
But we urgently need to reach communities
before the information we’ve gained goes
out of date. Please will you donate whatever
you can today, to help free people from this
terrible disease?
Dr Bilghris Elkhair leads the trachoma mapping team in Sudan
Yes, I want to help wipe trachoma off the map
All images ©Kate Holt/Sightsavers
“Our biggest challenge in Khartoum is
reaching rural communities living on the
outskirts. Some places are four hours away.
But the people are very supportive and keen
to help. It feels good that we’ve nearly finished
mapping the Sudan. It’s a very big country so
it’s an important job done.”
Islam Mohamed Mosa, who is part of one of the trachoma
mapping teams, sends recorded data, gathered on a smart
phone, directly back to the data collection centre
By February 2015 we had examined
2.1 million people – more than one
every minute
7
You’ve given
hope for
generations
Before he caught trachoma, 82-year-old Issa
Dawood was a farmer and taught religious
studies to local children. Today he’s no longer
able to work and relies on his wife and children.
As well as destroying his sight, the infection has
caused scarring to his eyelids. This makes his
eyelashes turn inwards and scratch painfully
with every blink. Thankfully Issa is now receiving
treatment. The Trachoma Mapping Project has
given him hope for the future, as he knows his
children won’t suffer the same fate he did.
“I’m very happy that
trachoma mapping is
happening, because
my children won’t
suffer as I have done”
©Kate Holt/Sightsavers
You are inspiring
community change
In Guinea Bissau, your donations are working in unusual
ways to help inform communities about good hygiene and
trachoma prevention
Battling infectious eye disease is as much
about prevention as treatment. Regular
hand and face washing can make a huge
difference. We use donations like yours
to fund the Guinea Bissau Trachoma
Elimination project. As well as providing
treatment, the project finds innovative ways
to share the importance of good hygiene
with local people.
Posters put up in communities are of little
use if you can’t read. Instead our partners in
Guinea Bissau have been getting creative.
Their solutions include:
Promoting eye health
•Local drama group performances are
conducted in local languages. The plays
reinforce messages about good hygiene
and encourage community discussions
Guinea Bissau is one of the poorest countries
in the world. 69% of the population live below
the poverty line. The impact of diseases such
as trachoma can be devastating. They prevent
people from working and trap them further in
poverty. One of the challenges in our work is
creating positive messages about eye health,
screening and treatment. With low adult
literacy rates, this is often difficult.
•Weekly radio programmes on two popular
national stations are reaching thousands
of people. Listeners can phone in and
have their concerns about eye care and
treatment answered
•Training community members such
as teachers, journalists and community
volunteers. This helps raise awareness
about trachoma and inspire more people
to seek eye care
An estimated 700,000 people so far have
received information about trachoma because
of these measures. And the project doesn’t
stop there.
Improving sanitation access
Members of the regional health team in Biombo region
assess a faulty water point. The project is supporting local
management committees to maintain their own water points.
10
Your donations are having a huge
impact and changing the lives of whole
communities. In a few years from now,
together we could be celebrating the
elimination of trachoma from Guinea Bissau!
Both images: ©Balla Musa Joof/Sightsavers
In endemic areas, the construction of
toilets is vital in tackling trachoma. Last
year we exceeded our target of building
15 latrines and 15 water points in schools
and local communities. We also trained
people and encouraged them to form water
management committees.
A volunteer community drug
distributor measures children
to confirm the correct dose of
Zithromax® treatment in the
Biombo region of Guinea Bissau.
Your donations are used to train
these volunteers to spread the word
about good hygiene and eye health.
11
Some of our amazing supporters
Sightsavers Marmalade
We’re extremely grateful to the Rotary Club
of Dublin Central for their generous donation
of €1,224 to our A Million Miracles appeal.
Each member of the 34-strong Rotary Club
supported one sight-saving cataract operation,
giving a total of 34 people the miracle of
having their eyesight restored.
A huge thank you to Mrs
Rosemary Bond, who supports
Sightsavers each year by selling
her homemade marmalade
and jams in her local area of
Sandymount. In March 2015, her
delicious fruit preserves raised a
sweet €160!
This was such a simple and powerful idea
that the Rotary Club of Limavady decided
to do the same, donating £1,000 towards A
Million Miracles. If you think your club, society
or workplace would like to do something
similar, then please get in touch with Head of
Corporate Fundraising, Noel Keogh, on
01 2710234 or [email protected].
More big-hearted sight savers are raising funds to help
ensure our work continues. Thank you!
€1,240
Rotary Clubs of Dublin
Central and Limavady
First Year students of St Michael’s College, Ballsbridge,
with their €1,000 cheque for Sightsavers
St Michael’s College, Ballsbridge
St Michael’s College has a proud history of
supporting people in need in developing
countries. This year, the First Year classes
elected Sightsavers as their annual charity
and raised an impressive €1,000. Events and
Schools Co-Ordinator, Teresa Murray, visited
the school to speak to the students about
Sightsavers, letting them know of the real
and measurable impact their fundraising
has on people’s lives. A sincere thank you to
these compassionate young students.
2FM DJ Rick O’Shea enjoying a blindfolded Wine and Dine to raise
awareness for Sightsavers
Bijou Wine and Dine in the Dark
Thank you!
In your spring issue of Focus we told you that we’d
teamed up with Torres Wines for a number of Wine
and Dine in the Dark events. The first took place on 5
March at Bijou Bistro in Rathgar, Dublin and was a great
success! Bijou and Torres crafted an unforgettable
experience with a menu designed specifically for the
night, matched perfectly by a selection of Torres wines.
All of the blindfolded guests had a fun and enjoyable
evening, including 2FM DJ Rick O’Shea, and learned
about Sightsavers’ invaluable eye health programmes in
the developing world.
A huge thank you to all our loyal
fundraisers for their creative ideas and
hard work! If you’re thinking of organising
your own fun event to help Sightsavers,
please contact Damien Cronin at
[email protected] or 01 2710236.
The evening ended with the announcement that all
proceeds would be donated to the A Million Miracles
appeal – a fantastic €1,240. Thank you to everyone who
made the night such a success and keep an eye on
our Facebook and Twitter pages for the next Wine and
Dine in the Dark!
12
A Transition Year student from
Falcarragh Community School
spinning hard to raise funds
Spin cycle
€546
Well done to Tim Runge and
the Transition Year students
from Falcarragh Community
School, Co Donegal, for doing
a sponsored spin cycle on 17
April in aid of Sightsavers. Their
efforts raised an amazing total
of €546 and clocked up the
equivalent of 180km!
Sightsavers’ Noel Keogh with Matt Porter, President of
Dublin Central Rotary Club, who recently supported A
Million Miracles
St Brigid’s Crosses
St Brigid’s Day occurs on February 1 and heralds the arrival of spring. This year
€2,864
saw the arrival of another outstanding donation from Mrs Patricia Cooney, who
makes St Brigid’s Crosses from local rushes and sells them around the parishes
of Co Cavan. Sales this year amounted to a massive €2,864. Our thanks to Mrs Cooney
and to everyone who purchased a beautiful St Brigid’s Cross. May it take pride of place and
protect your homes for the rest of the year!
13
A Million Miracles
The Junior Painter Awards are a fun highlight of the
year, as our office becomes an art gallery of colour!
We can’t begin to tell you how delighted and grateful we are at
your response to our A Million Miracles cataract appeal
Sightsavers’ Junior Painter Awards invites
primary school pupils to paint a picture
that expresses a positive message about
sight, encouraging them to explore and
appreciate this precious gift.
Irish supporters have raised enough
money so far to fund 12,281 sightrestoring operations for people living
in some of the poorest parts of the
world. So thank you, your support will
transform so many lives!
This year’s judges were Padraig Naughton,
Director of Arts & Disability Ireland, and Alan
Nolan, Illustrator in Residence for Children’s
Books Ireland. They were so impressed with
the high standard of entries that they awarded
17 highly commended certificates in addition
to the 15 regional winners.
TV3 Presenter, Sheana Keane announced the
national winners at an awards day in Dublin’s
Science Gallery. The children took to the
stage, accompanied by their teachers. Their
schools all received cash prizes from The
Irish Times.
Saif’s eyesight saved
Ella Kiely, Munster Regional Winner in the 1st/2nd Class
category, and her classmates in St. Joseph’s, Charleville,
Co Cork
Art of understanding
There’s a thought-provoking side to the Junior
Painter Awards too. We visit many schools,
talking to students about work you’re helping
to support in developing countries. They learn
about the difficulties people have in accessing
care to avoid or cure eye conditions that no
longer cause blindness in Ireland, and the
challenges facing those who have lost their
sight in gaining support and education.
Through the Junior Painter Awards we’re able
to encourage and praise talented young artists
– and raise awareness about the need to help
people get the kinds of eye care and support
we so often take for granted. Well done to
everyone who took part this year.
2015 National Winners: Cian Mangan (Cloghan’s Hill NS),
Overall national winner with “I want you to see books fly”
Katie O’Brien (Holy Family NS, Swords) and Ryan Buckley
(Belclare NS), with TV3’s Sheana Keane
The regional winners were presented with
arts and crafts prizes from The Art Materials
Company by Sightsavers’ Michael Marren.
14
©Tim McDonnell/Sightsavers
Junior painters
You can view all the award-winning paintings,
as well as some photos from school visits
and our awards day, on www.sightsavers.ie/
schools/junior-painter-gallery
This competition is kindly supported
by The Art Materials Company and
The Irish Times.
In your spring issue of Focus, you may
remember reading about Winesi March,
who received the first A Million Miracles
operation. Winesi lives with his family
in Malawi. Since then we’ve been to
Bangladesh to see more miracles happen,
such as that of little Saif.
Nine-year-old Saif was playing outside
with friends when a stone accidentally hit
him in the eye. He was given treatment
locally, and his parents, Jasim and Hunufa,
assumed all was fine.
It was only when Jasim noticed that his
son was closing his eyes against the light
and having trouble reading and writing that
he became worried. Then Saif told them
everything had suddenly gone dark in his
right eye.
Jasim took Saif to Comilla Hospital, where
he was diagnosed with cataract in both
eyes. In some cases, cataract appears
gradually, but it can be caused by an eye
injury. Saif’s eyesight was deteriorating
rapidly and he needed urgent surgery.
Thanks to you, he got it.
As Saif opened his eyes after his operation,
a huge smile broke out on his face and he
was soon playing and laughing with other
children on the ward. For Saif and his
family it was a miracle.
Thanks to you, Saif got his cataract operation and can enjoy
going to school and playing with his friends again
A mother says thank you
“The doctor told me that the surgery would
not be difficult and afterwards, Saif would
be able to see again. But I was very afraid
for my son before the operation. I cried
a lot and could not sleep when he was in
hospital. Now I am very happy. He is free.
Thank you to everyone!”
15
What does your Will
say about you?
You could be a part of history and free Nahbila’s
generation from river blindness. Forever.
But because of donations like yours,
everyone in their village now receives
treatment from Mectizan®, to protect them
from this terrible disease.
If you share our vision of a world in which
no child should live in fear of blindness,
please consider leaving a gift to Sightsavers
in your Will. In doing so, you can enable us
to plan ahead and with continued donations
from our supporters, the elimination of river
blindness for all of Nahbila’s generation is
possible in the next ten years.
A gift in your Will, no matter how big or
small, could ensure we reach this goal
and your impact on the world will change
history forever.
Best Will in the World Week 2015
From 19 to 23 October, solicitors across the country offer Will consultations for a flat
fee of just €50. Best Will in the World Week was created by MyLegacy.ie to highlight
the importance of having a Will and the lasting difference legacy gifts have on the
work of Irish charities. We understand that your loved ones come first, but if you do
wish to leave a legacy to a charity, please remember Sightsavers.
If you would like more information about leaving a gift in your
Will, please contact Jenny Douglas on 01 6637666.
Thank you.
©Mike Goldwater/Sightsavers
On page 5, we feature the story of
Julianna from Cameroon. Having lost her
sight through river blindness, if Julianna
wants to go anywhere, her six-year-old
granddaughter Nahbila has to lead her by
the hand. Seeing how blindness affects her
grandmother, Nahbila is scared of losing
her own sight.