Maria Sawe, our optometrist, SeeKenya trustee and lover of all things Kenyan, sits down with us to tell us more about our recent trip to Kenya, and the progress that is being made to build SeeKenya for the future. Maria has been on a commendable 18 trips, cementing her commitment to the charity, and the desperate need for the services of SeeKenya.
So what progress has been made on the permanent clinic building? Where are we at?
We ran our pop-up clinic from Kambakia Christian centre for this trip, as Isiome Hope Centre is in the middle of building work! Excitingly, the construction work is largely finished at the clinic, but the fittings like the electrics still need to be completed. For it to be a fully functional clinic, we also need the essential equipment, toilets and plumbing to be added. But the work so far is more than encouraging - we have transformed the building!
Our Kenyan partners even surprised us by putting in a driveway and a car park, plus an accessibility ramp so we can make sure that everyone who needs our services will be able to reach us. We’re keen to keep going, but we don’t have the money to do everything just yet.*
How did the trip go? Do you have any highlights you can share with us?
We referred to this trip as the ‘family and friends’ trip - as everyone had a family member or friend they had invited to come out and join us - making us a team of 14 in total.
Encouragingly, we have been able to get some new equipment, including a second glazing machine, which provides the capacity to make two pairs of glasses at once. That might not sound like much, but this will dramatically improve the efficiency of the lab, helping us to serve more people and impact more lives as a result. We were able to send it out ahead of the trip and it’s already making a big difference.
What else was different about this trip?
Because of our growing partnership with Lions hospital in Nairobi, we’re now able to communicate directly with the doctors there on WhatsApp whilst we are running our clinics- even from back in the UK. This means that patients can start the treatment they need as soon as possible, and it reduces the number of expensive trips to Nairobi.
We can now also produce ‘special orders’! This partnership with Lions also means we can make lenses to order (similar to what we have here in the UK), as they have a lab which can manufacture varifocals and other bespoke lenses. Although we have many thousands of lenses, it’s not possible for us to stock every exact prescription, and in the past, if we didn’t have the right lenses for someone, we had to make their glasses in the UK and then bring them back six months later. However, the logistics for this are complex and as well as struggling to locate the patient again, it means there’s a 6-month delay time. We can even do specialist lenses like varifocals now which we can offer at an affordable price - a simple move which is truly going to change people’s lives.
Do you have a stand-out story?
Mikiugu’s story (pictured above right) is one that stands out for me. He came into our clinic with a stick, needing to feel his way around the room. But when we put lenses in front of his face, his expression was one of pure wonder. He could read a poster on the other side of the auditorium, ‘Meeting people’s real needs with God’s real power.’ It was such a tangible moment of transformation, and he walked out confidently without needing to feel his way. It’s those stories that stay with you.
Inspired by Maria’s story?
Join us on our next SeeKenya trip in October 2024 or March 2025 and come and see the power of SeeKenya for yourself.
Find everything you need to know here, and email volunteer@seekenya.org to take your next step.
*Want to partner with us and help make the permanent clinic a reality? Become a monthly donor here. We appreciate your support!
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