Over 1,000 People Helped in Uganda

Millie Roberts and man in UgandaIn June, National Vision supported Millie and Hugh Roberts from Tom Cox World Ministries in their travels to Uganda where they helped over 1,000 people with their vision needs!

Over the course of two weeks, they saw 1,600 people in their clinics – a combination of medical and optical services. They were joined by local pastors and additional helpers while they were there.

Millie reports back that they distributed about 500 reading glasses and 100 sunglasses to the locals – which includes workers, pastors and leaders of the community. Policemen are especially fond of the sunglasses as it directly helps them in their profession.

Helper Mike with woman in Uganda

National Vision was able to support this mission trip with a glasses pack of 300 readers and 100 sunglasses, which was made possible thanks to our partnership with RestoringVision. Millie and Hugh were also able to distribute prescription glasses thanks to a donation from their local Lion’s Club.

Testimonial

Millie Roberts says:

“We get many great reactions from the people we help like ‘I can read my Bible now’ or ‘Now I can see to study; I love school.’ Sometimes they start readinHelper with woman in Ugandag the Bible to us and don’t stop as we use a Bible for the final verification of the diopter.  Other times we see a teacher who tells us how a student struggles to see and we can help them. And yet other times they just stare at their hands or something else that they haven’t seen before.”

She adds:

“Thanks a MILLION for all the help you give us. It is so appreciated and helps keep the cost of the trip to a workable deal.”

About Uganda

Map of Uganda

Image Credit: US Dept of State

Uganda is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania.  The official languages are English and Swahili.

Although the country has been experiencing consistent economic growth, this has not led to poverty reduction, making it one of the poorest nations in the world. In fact, poverty remains deep-rooted in the country’s rural areas where people depend on farming as the main source of income.

According to Uganda’s Ministry of Health, the African country has a scarcity of trained eye care professionals to provide accessible eye care, directly contributing to many cases of avoidable blindness in the country. In 2016, it was estimated that over 1.5 million people in Uganda suffered from avoidable visual impairment, a problem attributed to lack of accessible eye care services.

Lisa Aultman

Lisa Aultman

Philanthropic Programs Coordinator at National Vision, Inc.
Lisa Aultman has worked with NVI since 2014. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Food and Nutrition and a Master's Degree in Health Studies from The University of Alabama. Lisa has a passion for helping others. She enjoys working on corporate philanthropic programs, spreading health and wellness knowledge in the workplace and coordinating employee appreciation events.
Lisa Aultman