Project Updates

Continued Support

The president of the ESCRS, Peter Barry, has pledged to continue the society’s support for the two fundraising projects. “Charitable initiatives are very important for the society and our support of Oxfam and ORBIS has been very rewarding,” said Dr. Barry. “I am delighted to announce our continuing support for the ORBIS and Oxfam projects for a further two years”.

Society Raises €33,500

A total of €33,500 was donated to the two charities in 2011. Funds were initially raised from delegates when registering for the 15th ESCRS Winter Meeting in Istanbul, Turkey and the XXIX ESCRS Congress in Vienna, Austria. Additional funds were raised from a raffle at the Vienna Congress. The ESCRS Board also pledged to donate an additional €25,000 from the society’s funds. The amount donated to each charity in 2011 was €16,750 and new activities are already being planned for 2012.

ORBIS Project Update

With the money raised by the ESCRS, Dr. Mulusew Asferaw (see left) was selected for training on 'Paediatric Ophthalmology' at CCBRT in Tanzania,
which started in December 2011.

Dr. Fisseha Admassu was selected for training in 'Glaucoma', starting his
training in Canada last December also.

 

Oxfam, Kitgum WASH programme

During this 13-month Public Health project in Kitgum and Lamwo Districts, Oxfam has continued to strengthen the services provided by local government and build the self-reliance of households who returned to their villages after the two-decade conflict ended. There is still a significant amount of work to do, but the region feels to be truly in a development, rather than a humanitarian or recovery, context.

Individual achievements include:

• Support to the District Water Officers to assess, train and certify a cadre of Hand Pump Mechanics (150 in total with 18% women) to ensure communities have access to prompt, reliable and affordable maintenance and repair services;
  

• Fully equipping a District Water Quality Laboratory, including a motorcycle so that samples can be taken and analysed from water sources throughout the District;

• Conversion and handover to sub-county authorities of five water supply systems in the former camps. Participatory decisions were based on consumer demand for water, their ability to pay and local government’s ability to operate and maintain the systems. This led to one being retained as a diesel-powered system, two converted to solar power and two converted to hand pumps. Water User Committees were trained and equipped to manage these systems;

• Training of 20 key members of the District Disaster Management Committees on the appraisal of vulnerabilities and hazards, the application of appropriate Disaster Risk Reduction methods and the development of comprehensive Contingency plans.

Oxfam is working with District staff, Sub-County staff and communities to consolidate all the achievements of the last four years, since communities are starting returning to their villages of origin. These achievements are being built into an overall Community-Based Water Resource Management system that complies with the national Operation and Maintenance policy and will enable the government and people to take responsibility for their own water and sanitation needs and performance in the future.