What happened to all those glasses/sunglasses...
The article below was written by Naomi from YWAM
Over 1,200 pairs of glasses and sunglasses were collected by the Rotary Club of Nunawading last month for YWAM Medical Ships work in Papua New Guinea (PNG).
YWAM Medical Ships is a Townsville based charity that operates a medical ship, MV YWAM PNG, in some of PNG’s most remote areas. The former cruise ship has an on-board dentistry clinic, ophthalmology clinic, laboratory and four small boats that are launched from the vessel to transport healthcare teams and supplies to extremely remote communities.
Field activities delivered by YWAM Medical Ships teams include dentistry, maternal and child health, eye care, diagnostic services, health promotion and collegial support and mentoring for PNG health workers.
The glasses donated by the Rotary Club of Nunawading will be utilised by the YWAM Medical Ships optometry team. In 2016 alone, over 8,000 patients were seen in the team’s mobile clinic, including Milne Bay Province man, Dianda, who had extremely poor eyesight for most of his life. Dianda received a pair of donated +11 glasses for distance, and +14 for reading. He returned to his village with a new lease on life as he began to enjoy a whole new world around him.
The MV YWAM PNG will visit six provinces between January – May this year before returning to Townsville for renovations and maintenance. Further voyages are planned for September – December.
To learn more or to donate to YWAM Medical Ships work in PNG, visit www.ywamships.org.au
