Project to Eliminate Trachoma in Machinga District of Malawi
“Eye Care Everywhere!”
-World Sight Day commemoration in Malawi-
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Heart to Heart Foundation, in partnership with the Government of Malawi, held this year’s World Sight Day commemoration on 31 October. The campaign was held at St. Therese Primary School in Liwonde, Machinga district. With 20 cyclists leading the march in the town of Liwonde and students holding pickets promoting trachoma prevention messages, singing trachoma elimination messages as they marched on, the event took the marketers in the small town of Liwonde by storm! The march culminated into songs, dances, drama and speeches all aimed at disseminating trachoma elimination messages, blindness and vision impairment at the grounds of St Therese primary school.
Students marching with singing and holding pickets Bicycle taking leading in the marching
Since this event is not only held in Malawi, but also around the world, the World Sight Day commemoration tapped on this year’s global theme, Eye Health Everywhere, and focused messages on blindness and vision impairment. Given the many eye diseases that people that people suffer from in the district and in the country, several dignitaries participated at the WSD commemoration. These included the Assistant Director of Clinical Services, who is also the National Eye Health Coordinator from the Ministry of Health, Traditional Chiefs, the District Medical Doctor, the Chairperson of the Machinga District Council (who was the Guest of Honor), the media, other International and local NGO, schoolchildren and many more.
Council Chairman of Machinga District Council giving Speech, Mr. David Chitedze
The event would have been stodgy and not inspiring if it was only full of speeches. Members of School Sanitation Clubs from different primary schools in the project district of Machinga took turns to share information about trachoma through various performances, such as poetry, speeches, drama, role-plays and even recitals from the trachoma learners’ book. Children who gave wonderful speeches and showed funny dramas in the dissemination of trachoma elimination messages, received huge round of applause from the huge crowd that gathered at St Therese primary school. They were like pioneers with a mission to convey the important knowledge about Trachoma. It was such a successful and memorable event.
Event site
Children performing international conference & Student delivering message about trachoma
Traditional Chiefs also joined in the dissemination of the trachoma elimination message & A section of children watching the event
Please continue supporting the Malawian children to escape preventable blindness and the resulting illiteracy and poverty!
* Trachoma elimination project in Machinga district of Malawi
Heart-to-Heart Foundation has been running Malawi Trachoma Elimination programme based on S.A.F.E strategy of WHO, with the support of KOICA and L’Occitane.
