Mission Trip to Mexico
This past spring, we had the opportunity to support a mission trip to Loreto and La Purisima, Mexico. Through a partnership with VOSH California, we were able to help 669 people.
About Mexico
Image Credit: U.S. Department of State
Mexico is a country between the U.S. and Central America and is known for its beaches and diverse landscape of mountains, deserts and jungles. The majority of Mexicans speak Spanish, are Roman Catholic and of Amerindian-Spanish decent.
The global financial crisis of 2008 caused a massive economic downturn in Mexico. The ongoing economic and social concerns include low wages, high underemployment, inequitable income distribution and few advancement opportunities for the largely indigenous population in the impoverished southern states.
Although Mexico’s medical infrastructure is highly rated for the most, rural communities still lack equipment for advanced medical procedures. This void forces patients in those locations to travel to the closest urban areas to get specialized medical care.
Mission Trip to Loreto & La Purisima, Mexico
Through our partnership with VOSH (Volunteer Optometric Services for Humanity) California, we were able to support a mission trip to Loreto and La Pursima, in Southern Baja California, Mexico. VOSH California is an organization whose members give their time and skill to deliver vision care to needy people throughout the world. Because the need is so great, this group focuses on providing support to developing countries in Latin America.
The team included 10 volunteers: 3 Doctors – Dr. Kageyama, Dr. Thu Nguyen, and Dr. Ping Ye; 4 Optometry students – 3rd year Western University Optometry students Katherine Ha and Malia Sato and 2nd year Berkeley School of Optometry students Kevin Wu and Valerie Tran; UCLA undergraduate student Andrew Kageyama; and high school student Stephen Zhu. The trip leader was Deborah Wright of VOSH.
These volunteers traveled to Loreto and La Pursima between March 20 – March 27, 2016. Deborah Wright coordinated with the Integral Development of Family (a non profit organization that provides support to the community of Loreto through services for single mothers, elderly, and the homeless) to have a 3 day clinic. In that time, the team provided 353 eye exams and made 122 prescription glasses.
The volunteers also drove 5 hours deep into the mountains to the town of La Purisima. There they were able to see 316 patients and made 69 prescription glasses in a day and a half.
Pictures and Testimonial from Loreto & La Pursima
“Our trip to Loreto and La Purisima, Mexico was a great success! Thanks to National Vision, we were able to provide readers and sunglasses to many of our patients, and they were very well appreciated. Thank you!” Katherine Ha
Jessica Altamirano
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