International Portfolio Reports
Moorfields Lions Korle Bu Trust, Chairman - PID Lion Howard Lee
Our Eye Centre
The Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) is one of the largest such facilities in the whole of the West Africa region. However, before the Lions International Eye Centre (LIEC) was built, KBTH's Ophthalmic Department was only able to treat around 75 patients per day. Now that the LIEC is built and equipped, they can treat up to 300 patients per day. This is a massive improvement, but this is only possible if the medical teams have the necessary expertise. Therefore, our training courses now being run are a vital component in the development of the capacity and standards necessary to improve significantly the sight services available.
Work on the development of courses is progressing very well. Courses in Small Incision Cataract Surgery, Diabetic Retinopathy, Glaucoma and Paediatric Cataract are now fully up and running, being organised almost entirely by our own local courses manager based in Accra and staffed entirely by West African ophthalmologists whom we have trained as faculty members. Oculoplastics and Sickle Cell Retinopathy courses are "in the pipeline" and should come on stream later this year or early next year.
We also have an online course introducing suitably trained medical personnel to the speciality of ophthalmic surgery, and this has been taken by around 400 students so far. This course is now in the curriculum for fellowship of the West African College of Surgeons (WACS).
In addition, we have trained over 200 nurses and other staff in modern techniques in ophthalmic support services, patient flows, patient record keeping, etc.
We can estimate with confidence that our work has led to well over 200,000 sight-saving treatments that would not otherwise have been undertaken. These are all procedures that were unavailable in West Africa before our courses started, and they are being carried out on patients who could not afford to go abroad for treatment. As can be seen, MD105's VERY OWN SIGHT PROJECT at Korle Bu, Ghana, is having a massive impact on preventable blindness in the whole of the West Africa region.
We continue towards our aim to provide higher ophthalmic surgical training
IN West Africa, BY West Africa, FOR West Africa.
The Future Looks Great
Be in no doubt, the work we Lions are now doing, in partnership with others, is providing West Africa with sight services of a quality and quantity that could not have been envisaged before, and we are changing huge numbers of lives for the better.
Our plan is to build up the number of courses to six per year, thus providing direct specialist training to between 20 and 24 ophthalmologists annually. All our courses now contain a "train the trainer" element, so that the skills can be passed onto many others. They also now contain a clinical management element, which is designed to improve all the additional facilities, such as nursing, patient management, etc. that are needed to maximise the benefits of the surgical skills we teach.
A vital element in projects such as ours is sustainability. We now have our own courses manager in Accra, who makes almost all of the arrangements necessary for each course. We have also trained a significant number of African trainers, so that all regular courses are "maned" by West African facilitators. To move towards true sustainability, we must seek local West African sources of finance. Ideas of how this can be done are being considered.
MD105 Very Own Sight Project
I make no apology for once again explaining why our very own sight project is so desperately needed.
In West Africa, there are around 2.6 million people known to be blind, but the actual total could be twice that figure. Whilst up to 90% of this blindness could be cured or prevented, sight services available in the region have historically been at levels only around 20% of those needed to tackle the problem. So, the most important part of our MD105 project is to provide training for ophthalmic surgeons and their teams. This training project is now showing very positive results, leading to much improve sight services throughout the region, both in terms of quality and quantity.
We Lions of MD105 continue to work with Moorfields Eye Hospital, University College London, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), West African College of Surgeons (WACS) and others to run training courses at the Lions International Eye Centre (LIEC) which we have built and equipped at Ghana's main teaching hospital in Accra. The centre provides a resource for the diagnosis, management and treatment of all eye diseases, whilst enabling specialists from across West Africa to train in a safe and high-volume surgery unit. Once trained, ophthalmologists not only put their skills to use in their place of work in West Africa but also pass on their knowledge and skills to colleagues, disseminating expertise and helping to eliminate preventable blindness from cataract, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and many other conditions across the region.
Without your continued support, we would not have been able to achieve this. On behalf of everyone involved in the project, thank you.
Your Help Is Needed
I am sure you will agree that our project is desperately needed, and that now it is really coming to fruition. However, it will take another three to five years to reach the level of sustainability towards which we strive. In the meantime, your continued support is vital to gain the benefits of all the hard work and resources which we Lions have committed in the past.
We should be delighted If you would like to sponsor a whole course at £12,500, or an individual student at £2,500. But donations of any size are important to us.
Please send your donations to your District Charities Treasurer clearly marked "Korle Bu".
A Huge Thank You
Many thanks to all our Trustees for their hard work. This includes PCC Chris Iles, PDG Max Mongia and PCC Andy Pemberton and PCC Stewart Sherman-Kahn, along with Consultant Ophthalmologists Ian Murdoch, Evie Mensah, Raj Das Baumik and Hannah Faal (Nigeria).
On behalf of everyone involved in the project, and on behalf of the many thousands of people in West Africa who are benefitting from our work, I thank you again for your kind and loyal support in the past, and I would ask you to continue that support for the next few years.
Gift for Living - PID Phil Nathan MBE
E.2 GFL Report APRIL 2025 for web.pdf
International Relations - PCC Viresh Paul
It has been my honour to serve as the Multiple District International Relations Officer since October, having been appointed three months into the current Lions year.
Despite the short tenure so far, I have, with the invaluable support of MD Headquarters and Past International Directors, had the privilege of organising a highly successful Lions Day with the United Nations, held at the Houses of Parliament in March this year. The event was attended by approximately 150 Lions from across the Multiple District and featured inspirational speakers from both within and outside our organisation. The theme, "The Future of Service," was powerfully explored and resonated strongly with all present.
Looking ahead, I intend to actively engage with the District International Relations Officers across the Multiple District to gather their views and explore viable initiatives to enhance awareness of, and participation in, the international dimensions of Lions Clubs International. Together, we will aim to establish a shared vision and a coherent action plan that strengthens international relations and reinforces the global identity of our organisation.
We must never lose sight of the fact that we are part of an international movement, united in our mission of service. Maintaining and deepening our international engagement is essential not only to our heritage but to our future effectiveness in addressing humanitarian needs across borders.
I look forward to working collaboratively across the Multiple District to promote and advance the international ideals that lie at the very heart of Lions Clubs International.
LCIF - David Pope
Please remember - LCIF Magnifies Lions impact to serve.
The desperate need for our International Foundation continues, the support for the devastation around the world both natural & man-made is not reducing, these all require our love, support and donations. Please continue to support our International Foundation. Remember that LCIF magnifies the action of Lions.
A huge thank you to everyone - personal, club & corporate sponsors who have contributed to our International Foundation, the generosity of the Lions of the British Isles is truly humbling.
The Lions Legacy programme has recently been launched in MD105, this is our opportunity to leave a lasting legacy and to continue to support LCIF after we have gone, further details from the links below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmuGeOIyeww
https://www.lionsclubs.org/en/discover-our-foundation/mission
A huge thank you to our clubs, individuals & corporate sponsors who have made donations to our International Foundation last year, we donated an incredible £362,487. Thanks to our incredible District Treasurers who submit your donations in a timely manner – THANK YOU
Ukraine
Following the immense support for help in Ukraine and the hugely successful Ukraine Stoves Appeals, 160 celebratory banner patches from WICTU2 were sent onto LCIF District Coordinators earlier in the year for appropriate recognition.
Winter is Coming to Ukraine 3 was launched in November. This is a further opportunity to donate an upgraded stove to the people of Ukraine for c.£125
As at the end of March an incredible £85,625 (enough for 685 stoves) has been donated from our Districts, this has been transferred to LCIF for the WICTU3 project, please continue to support this life saving project.
For reference last year we donated £54,125 enough for 433 Stoves.
WaSH - BDG Ujjal and Paula Mellows
The Sekenani Girls High School is in the Narok region of Kenya. The school has no clean water facilities, the girls have to fetch water in jerry cans from the nearby Sekenani River. There are no washing or sanitary facilities for the girls, they have bucket showers by fetching water from the river. The animals use the same river for drinking and washing, making the water more undesirable.
The project to provide clean water to the girls at the Sekenani Girls School in Kenya is on its way. Thanks to MD105 Foundation, for granting funds to help the project get off the ground. The Chair of the WaSH group will make an application for a matching grant from the LCIF by end April. The amount of £12,150 will be a part of the matching grant and will be needed to transfer to the the WaSH bank account in end April/ May time, I will advise the Council of the transaction.
There is still a shortage of 25,000 Euros, the money is trickling in extremely slowly. I would gratefully accept any donations made for this worthwhile project. Please see the detail below for donations.
I would like a WaSH officer to join me to form a 105 Team for future projects. I will be sending out a letter to all the 105 Districts to this end.
I will be available at our MD Convention for a chat if you so wish.
Ujjal Kular
105 WaSH Officer
Donations to Lion Paula Mellows (Treasurer) WaSH account.
Lions Clubs International district 105ce
Sort Code 40 52 40
Account 00099737
