Over 200 People Helped in Zambia
Last month, we were able to support a mission trip to Siansowa Village, Zambia with a glasses pack donation. John Mark Glenn, a member of St. James United Methodist Church in Montgomery, Alabama traveled to the African country along with nine other volunteers.
St. James United Methodist Church has adopted the Siansowa Village in Zambia, Africa and works to improve their daily lives. To date, the church has supported the construction of the village’s school’s roof, the construction of a local church building, the purchase of livestock, the drilling of fresh water wells and leadership development for pastors of the local church.
Bringing eye care to the Siansowa Village was just another goal for the group. Within just 12 days, volunteers of the St. James United Methodist Church and the Siansowa Pentecostal Wesleyan Church helped over 200 people by distributing 200 reading glasses and 125 sunglasses.
This makes the 54th mission trip we have supported in 2017 thanks to our partner, Restoring Vision, who provides the donated readers and sunglasses to these groups.
Testimonial
“We distributed sunglasses to all church service attendees at Siansowa, Zambia on Sunday June 11, 2017. All recipients were very pleased and said it would be useful for them because of the brightness of the sun. We distributed readers as well, and gave readers to local clinic to distribute (for free) to those who need reading glass help. We also talked to a few people with cataracts or other conditions who need the help of medical professionals.”
– Jon Mark Glenn, St. James United Methodist Church
About Zambia
Image Credit: U.S. Dept of State
Zambia is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, neighboring the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north; Tanzania to the northeast; Malawi to the east; Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south; and Angola to the west. The capital city is Lusaka, in the south central part of Zambia.
The population is concentrated mainly around Lusaka in the south and the Copperbelt Province to the northwest, the core economic hubs of the country. Unfortunately, Zambia fell into poverty after international copper prices declined in the 1970s.
As is the case with many developing countries, Zambia struggles with shortage and maldistribution of human resources, and lack of routine monitoring and inadequate financing mechanisms which affect the Zambian eye health system.
Jessica Altamirano
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