SRW Accomplishments

SHARING THE VISION — October 2003

By Mary Dowling, RN, Co-Director

Hadja helps with child's eye exam.

Midwives and farmers, teachers and parents, office personnel and schoolchildren — 482 people in Nicaragua are seeing their world a little more clearly today, thanks to SRW's Eyeglass Mission to Matagalpa last October.

While Mary Dowling, SRW Co-Director, and others in the Midwest laid the groundwork for this ambitious mission, our counterpart organizations in Nicaragua spread the word and prepared facilities for the SRW team. Familias Especiales, Casa Materna Mary Ann Jackman, the Lions Club of Matagalpa, and Iglesia Baptista helped create a steady, organized flow of people in need of SRW's services. In all, 523 people, ages 7 to 86, traveled from near and far for eye exams, hoping to improve both their eyesight and their quality of life. Of those, 482 received glasses, including some who received two pairs to meet both distance and reading needs.

So many have a need for eyeglasses to improve their studies, work, and quality of life.

So many have a need for eyeglasses to improve their studies, work, and quality of life.

The need for eyeglasses is great — for students, workers, families, and communities. It is inspiring to see what can be accomplished when people partner across borders with a shared desire to improve the sight and well-being of our brothers and sisters around the world. Distance and language barriers cannot diminish the joy of working together toward a common goal.

SRW extends heartfelt thanks to all the Nicaraguan groups involved for their assistance, hospitality, and friendship. Closer to home, we gratefully acknowledge the team members who donated their time, airfare, and expertise, as well as the Lions Clubs of Wisconsin, which donated hundreds of pairs of glasses for distribution. The Lions Club of Verona, Janesville Noon Lions, and Middleton Lions Club also gave generously in support of this mission.

Miguel will have a much better outlook now!

Miguel will have a much better outlook now!

The value of services and products — including glasses and medications — provided during this mission was $109,738. SRW's expenses totaled just $795. For every $1 spent to support this mission, $138 worth of services and products were provided in Nicaragua.

Team members from Wisconsin were:
Neil Lucchese, MD
James Wise, MD
Lisa Fernandez, RN
Magaly Laurent, COT
Keith Skoug, CO
Lorena Kannel
Mary Dowling, RN

Team members from Nicaragua were:
Jaime Pereira
Paulina Aguinaga

Thank you ALL for a rewarding and successful mission!

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