Together We Stand

[ 71 ] Another aspect of the bright results accumulated during this partnership is the possibility offered to the local doctors, nurses and health personnel to be trained on a permanent basis and benefit from the strong experience of expert ophthal- mologists taking part in the free eye camps or working in the hospitals. Modern surgery equipment, microscopes, medicine and trainers are made available for training throughout the year, with hundreds of specialized health staff trained by eye specialist from different countries volunteering under the partnership programme. The partnership has not only offered eye camps, but also devel- oped a new concept of post-operation economic assistance to the patients. Vocational training for selected former blind people (cataract patients) is provided, and microfinance and easy loans are made possible for farming and agriculture projects. This has led to enormous success in the reinsertion of cured people, both men and women, in normal life. Particular emphasis is being laid on assisting young children and girls cured from cataracts to join schools and catch up on wasted time. A detailed programme is being worked out, which is specifically designed to assist blind handicapped persons to reintegrate into normal life by providing training for craftsmanship, Braille printing and reading facilities and intro- ducing adapted technology. The partnership is also building a new approach to reach remote areas in several countries in the Sahel region. The areas targeted are those with no access to basic life needs, often totally isolated in deserts and highlands. The approach consist of build- ing a fully-equipped mobile surgeons’ team with four-by-four vehicles, trucks and communication systems to organize free consultations and surgeries all year around. Two teams are being set up to be operational in April 2016 to cover Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Tchad. The objective is to build 10 fully-equipped mobile teams to cover the whole area of west and central Africa. The necessary financial resources are made available to this project with an average cost of US$200,000 per team, in addition to operational and administrative expenses. The two organizations are targeting the treatment of 1 million cases of cataracts in sub-Saharan Africa by the end of the year 2030. Practitioners and eye specialists from Egypt and other countries are also involved in this strategic programme, in addi- tion to local medical staff from the host countries. Thanks to the outreach communication campaigns, the part- nership brought an overwhelming reaction from donors from the Middle East countries. These donors provide financing for free eye campaigns, donate towards equipment purchasing, or even bear the administrative costs of the medical team includ- ing air fares, food and accommodation. Support from the local governments and authorities in all the host countries has exceeded expectations. All eye camps are officially launched by officials, with some even insisting on attending ongoing operations at the venues. Coverage by local press and media is common; interviews with visiting teams and beneficiaries make the news during the event and help by drawing more interest in this action to benefit of needy populations. The past 25 years of joint productive work between DA and BIF have proved to be very rewarding, not only for the fragile communities but also for the potential donors, both individuals and organizations. They have taken this unique opportunity to share the common human values of fraternity and caring, illustrating that ‘together we stand stronger’. Image: Majed Sultan AL Za’abi Eye patient Mustafa is able to read again after 10 years of blindness T ogether W e S tand