Outpatient Visits Increase in Honduras

Through the work of Dr. Diego Alberto Mejia and his staff at the Centro deVision-Dr. Douglas Perry Clinic. IEF's partner clinic in San Pedro Sula, Honduras is showing a steady increase in its social outreach services.

Reports for March show that over the last 8 months there has been a three fold increase of outpatients seen. Numbers have increased from 2-5 per month to 20-25 per month.

CMIS Operational at Divino Nino Jesus in Peru

New IEF Sight Reach® Management partner - the Divino Nino Jesus Clinic in Lima, Peru is a very productive faith based social eye clinic with big plans for the future. The adminstrator of the clinic is Ing. Alberto D. Lazo Legua and with his wholehearted support, this generous and energetic group plans to expand their services and use the Divino Nino Jesus/SightReach approach to sustainability as a model for other clinics in Latin America.

The clinic now has a new hospital management software system up and running. IEF assisted in the installation and implementation of the new Computer Management Information System (CMIS) which was developed in Spanish by Visualiza in Guatemala with IEF support. Pictured are Ing. Juan Emanuel Echeverria and Arq. Juan Francisco Yee of Visualiza working on the installation of the new system.

In the bottom photo, IEF's sustainability specialist Raheem Rahmathullah, Divino Nino Jesus's administrator Alberto Lazo Legua and Visualiza's systems engineer Juan Echeverria are seen enjoying a well earned cup of coffee after the successful testing of the installation.

Volvo Car Raffle - Benefits 2 non-profits

IEF Raffle benefits not one, but two non-profits.

The International Eye Foundation(IEF) held a raffle to raise funds for eye care in developing countries. If all the tickets were sold, the prize was a Volvo Station Wagon. if less were sold then the winner received 50% of all the income from the raffle.

In a surprise outcome, the winning ticket was not only sold by a non-profit, IEF, but was also purchased by a non-profit, the Marietta Restoration Associates (MRA). Pictured on the right is IEF's Finance Director, Edward Henderson, holding the basket of tickets as the manager of the Kensington Branch of the Chevy Chase Bank draws the winning ticket. Seen on the left is IEF's Development Director, Wendy Codd presenting a check for the winnings to the MRA President, Raymond McKeeby.

The money raised from the raffle has been put to good use. Restoring sight around the world, and restoring an historic building in the USA - the Vesta Furnace in Marietta, PA.

Guatemala Visit

Recently I was able to visit IEF's Guatmala partner clinic, Visualiza, in Guatemala City. There I was able to see at first hand the amazing work that the the dedicated staff, under the leadership of Ophthalmologist Dr. Mariano Yee, do to prevent blindness and restore sight to those who otherwise would be unable to see.

The Visualiza Clinic has a strong school outreach program in Guatemala. During my visit, children from La Escuela Oficial Rural Mixta, Caseno La Virgin, who had been diagnosed with vision problems came to the clinic for additional testing. The children had made a poster and written thank you letters and cards. Here is a photograph of IEF's Director of Development, Wendy Codd, accepting this poster on behalf of the Clinic staff.

Celebrate Spring

Celebrate Spring's promise of new life with the Gift of Sight. Restoring sight awakens hope for a better life

For a child facing a lifetime of blindness, it's frightening. 10 year old Irma Liliana lives in a humble two room wood home in Guatemala City. Her hardworking parents earn less than $10 a day to provide for their family of six.

Irma started going blind in her left eye in early 2008 and there simply wasn't enought money to pay for the operation she needed. A year later, Irma's parents took her to the social service clinic at Visualiza, IEF's partner in Guatemala City. The eye doctors diaagnosed keratasis, a severe inflamation of the cornea that causes scarring and blindness. The only way to save Irma's sight was a corneal transplant operation.

Last June, Irmal received her new cornea and her sight was restored. She has returned to school, she plays with her friends and enjoys life with renewed promise. Her parents are so grateful to the doctors at Visualiza saying "...there are no words to say for all you have done".