Clearer Vision in Central Africa
Central Malawi …The tall tribal chief had been unable to see clearly for a long time. He could only make out blurred images as he moved from place to place, and distinct features were something he could never expect to see again. Then someone told him the Malawi Project was able to give him eye glasses that would help him to see clearly again. He had someone drive him to the location and within a short time he was paired with glasses that would help him see again. No one wanted to tell him the right pair were actually a pair that contained a frame that would look more at home on a woman’s face. He could see and that was all that mattered. The style of the frame was not important to him. A little later a Project member drove him to his home village. He sat directly behind the driver, so it was easy to hear what he was saying to the person next to him. As he looked out the window, seeing clearly for the first time in a number of years, he could only repeat over and over, “They are not trees, they are people! I see people moving. I see people.”
At the same time, a minister who traveled throughout the nation was fast loosing his eyesight. Almost no one in Malawi, not even the tribal chiefs and preachers, can afford to buy eyeglasses so they are at the mercy of contributors who send eyeglasses to them. As he tried on a pair of glasses that had been donated by a caring contributor a broad smile spread across his face. He could see clearly again. He could study the Bible and prepare lessons. He could read the many letters that came in each day to the church. His life was back on track, thanks to someone in another part of the world that he would never meet.
While the tribal chief and the minister received their glasses before the participation of the young woman in the next story, many others are going to benefit by her coming into the picture.
Making it Possible From California
Southern California, USA … Young Rachel Lee, at the age of 9, became all too familiar with vision problems. That was the age when she was diagnosed with strabismus, an eye condition that causes one or both eyes to wander inward or outward depending on the person. She went through three surgeries, visual therapy, and an extensive amount of time in eye training exercises to strengthen her eye muscles.
Recently Rachel was introduced to the Malawi Project through college counselor Steve Armanino, California and she started gathering eyeglasses. She notes how this caused her life to become linked to Malawi.
“I will never forget the joy of being able to see clearly and focus on the task at hand. This is why I felt compelled to start a club and raise awareness of the visual needs of others. Currently I am the President of the ‘Eyes Around the World’ Club at my school, and I hold glasses drives for the Malawi Project. This past summer my friends and I collected 400 pairs of eyeglasses, and more recently we have gathered over 200 more. We not only personally solicit the glasses; we also place “Eyes Around the Word” boxes in different optometrist offices in California. We are now actively looking at other projects we can put in place to help the people in Malawi, through the Malawi Project.”
Kids Helping Kids
Rachel is an example of what the Kids Helping Kids Program of the Malawi Project means for so many people in sub-Saharan Africa. Without these kids in developed nations the suffering in Africa would be more intense, needed resources for life and education would be less available, and fewer people would be able to see the future with clear eyes.