DAY THIRTY-FIVE: EYEGLASSES
For those of us who are also known as "four eyes" we probably have some. Those outdated eyeglasses, tucked away in a drawer somewhere. Maybe we had a bit of an eyeglass makeover, maybe our prescription changed, or if we're lucky, we just don't need them anymore (laser surgery?) It seems wasteful just to throw them out, so what can we do? Send them to the Third World Eye Care Society http://www.twecs.ca/ This organization will take your eyeglasses to developing countries where an eye care professional, who is volunteering their time, will perform an eye exam at a mobile clinic and distribute the necessary glasses. Imagine what an impact improved sight can bring! So dig around in your drawers and take those unused glasses to your optometrist's office and let them
DAY THIRTY SIX: Doctor, Doctor!
The post above got me thinking about professionals that volunteer their time and services abroad. I've always heard about Doctors Without Borders and wondered what they do. They are known worldwide by their 
French name, Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF). Since 1971, these volunteer medical personnel (not just doctors but nurses, surgeons, etc.) are often called upon by the UN to respond to emergency medical situations in "areas of need". They focus on the immediate needs- vaccinations, administering primary healthcare (prescriptions, diagnosis), providing food for malnutrition, mental health care, establishing a supply of necessary medical supplies and drugs. They also help train medical personnel in the country, set-up sanitation facilities, provide special care for mothers-to-be and children, rebuilding medical clinics and hospitals. http://www.msf.ca/ MSF was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999 for their great humanitarian work.
French name, Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF). Since 1971, these volunteer medical personnel (not just doctors but nurses, surgeons, etc.) are often called upon by the UN to respond to emergency medical situations in "areas of need". They focus on the immediate needs- vaccinations, administering primary healthcare (prescriptions, diagnosis), providing food for malnutrition, mental health care, establishing a supply of necessary medical supplies and drugs. They also help train medical personnel in the country, set-up sanitation facilities, provide special care for mothers-to-be and children, rebuilding medical clinics and hospitals. http://www.msf.ca/ MSF was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999 for their great humanitarian work. There is a movie based on the stories of MSF doctors in Liberia and Congo. This documentary points out the less-glamorous moments and heartbreaking decisions that make up the day-to-day life of the doctors in the war-zones. The movie actually gets some playtime in Vancouver at the Vancity Theatre (1181 Seymour). Living in Emergency: Stories of Doctors Without Borders www.imbd.com/title/tt1294182/
No comments:
Post a Comment