Proceeds from last year’s edition of Charity Goat Races were used to conduct an eye camp in Mtwara Region where more than 780 people attended.
Organising Committee chairperson Karen Stanley said in Dar es Salaam they donated 7m/- to the Lions Club of Mzizima to conduct an eye camp in the southern Tanzania region.
She said Lions Club of Mzizima was not on the initial list of the 14 beneficiaries of last year goat race but was included after some organisations returned the money due to closure of their projects and also because the club’s activities benefit many rural people.
“Lions Club of Mzizima works with rural people, they organise mega eye camps for poor people in the villages. We, therefore, thought it wise to give them the money so that they can reach out to the masses,” she said. Last year event was held on June 7 at the Green Kenyatta Drive.
Mzizima convener for eye camps Mustafa Kurudat thanked the Charity Goat Race for the donation which, he said, has helped many people in Mtwara region. He said the mega eye camp was conducted on February 6-7 at Ligura Hospital and they carried 780 examinations and 73 cataract cases were identified.
Kurudat said prior to the mega eye camp a team of five eye experts from the region visited three health centres namely Mahurunga, Nanguruwe and Kitere where they provided medicine to eye patients.
He thanked Mtwara District eye coordinator Upendo Abid and Dr Hubaro Zeinu from Ndanda Hospital for taking a centre role in the eye camp. “We conducted 69 cataract surgeries and nearly 500 spectacles were given to people with eye problems.
We also gave people medicine worthy 1m/-, we thank the Goat Race for helping us to reach out to many people,” he said. Lions Club of Mzizima has so far reached more than 50,000 people in the country with eye disability, providing treatment, medicines and spectacles.
Kurudat said they used 17m/- for the camp and part of the money was raised from a last year’s edition of the 18 holes Play for Sight Charity Golf tournament held on October 25 at Lugalo Golf Club. The event is organised by Lions Club of Mzizima.
Source Tanzania Daily News
