Photo: Sister Neema, Sister Sara and Medical Assistant Matilda
An appeal to raise money for an eye clinic in Kiteto, Tanzania, has exceeded its target thanks to the generosity of people in our diocese.
More than £7,500 has been donated during the last year by churches and individuals across Leicester and Leicestershire.
Having successfully run a clinic for many years in Kibaya, the Diocese of Kiteto will be able to use the money to expand its work, replace vital staff that are coming up to retirement, and offer essential care to the community in the coming year.
The Dioceses of Leicester and Kiteto have been linked since 1982.
Bishop Martyn and Bishop Guli visited Tanzania in 2018, and were particularly moved by the work carried out in the community clinic.
Healthcare in Tanzania, one of the poorest countries in the world, is a huge challenge. As a result eye care can be difficult to deliver and this has led to a high rate of sight loss. At the same time, many of the conditions that lead to sight loss are preventable and cheap to treat.
Having surpassed the Diocesan Tanzanian Link Committee’s fundraising target, the money will be used to provide the salaries for a doctor and nurse for one year. Those positions have already been filled at the clinic by Medical Assistant, Matilda Makoye, and Enrolled Nurse, Neema Nyove.
The two new staff members will be supported and guided in their roles by Sister Saraweki Mbelwa, who has been working in the clinic since 2006 and is due to retire.
Bishop Martyn said: "It was a real joy to meet Sister Sara and visit the clinic in 2018. Sister Sara is a real pioneer who has run the clinic with dedication and care but few resources.
“I am so pleased that we are now able to support her and ensure a good transition to new leadership. This gives real meaning to our partnership with the Diocese of Kiteto.”
The future plan is to expand the clinic to offer mother and child care services, alongside other primary care services in conjunction with the Tanzania government.
There is also an ongoing need for new equipment, the completion of staff housing and transportation for the clinic's community outreach work.
The Bishop of Kiteto, the Rt Revd Isaiah Chambala, said: “The diocesan dispensary has been a blessing to many people here, through the eye clinic providing medication in the region. Providing a more general medical service improves the diocese's social concern. It shows we are serious as we participate in the practical love of God to all.”
He added: “Healing is God's self-expression of love and compassion whether it’s a miracle or medical: in the end it is God who heals.”
If you would like to contribute to the cause and its ongoing needs, visit:
https://martyrs.org.uk/m/support-kiteto