The Akamba Aid Fund (AAF) our adopted charity has been incredibly productive and active. The charity trustee's, of whom Simon Frackiewicz (Optometric Partner in Yeovil) is one, had a dream of building a sustainable medical clinic to support the poor and vulnerable people of Akamba and let's face it, that embodies pretty much everyone living there.
The charity's aim to craete a permenant clinic must have seemed like an impossible pipe dream when they started but hard work, infectious enthusiasm and unfailing optimism has paid off as the fabric of the building nears completion.
Drawn in by Simon's enthusiasm and dedication to product we, as a small collection of independent opticians, wanted to help bring proper eyecare to a people whom suffer blindness for want of a cataract operation or even just the provision of a pair of glasses. Thus our charitable efforts have been directed at helping fund the building project.
As the building nears completion the charity need to recruit, train and pay a local to become an ophthalmic nurse to run the operation on the ground in Kenya. Charitable donations can fluctuate making ongoing and sustainable employment difficult and this is where we felt we could really make a difference. So in future our fund raising will be to pay for the training and salary of the nurse, but more than that, what we fail to raise by fund raising we will make up form our business.
That means that, in Akamba at least, the people can look forward to a permenant eye clinic for the future.