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Clinic Blog: Benin Clinic Blog

September 19, 2010

Saying goodbye to Benin - Our last day in country,

By jarnold

One last post to wrap this blog up.  Our plane did not depart Benin till 11.00pm so we had a final day in Benin.

We got to sleep in a bit as breakfast was moved from 6.00am to 8.00am :)  After breakfast we enjoyed the always emotional pinning ceremony.  Each team member was awarded with a beautiful pin by our team leaders.  The pins have the OneSight logo on with the words Benin 10 down the side highlighted by our team colour - Orange.

Then we had some free time.  Trips were organised to the beach or for shopping and team members could choose where they wanted to go.  After this it was time to pack and rest up a bit before heading out to the airport (Stopping at a Pizza restaurant along the way for our last meal in Benin.

While booking in and boarding the plane we met two airport workers who had been though our clinic.  They greeted us with thanks and smiles - this was a great way to finish our time in Africa.

Now for the hardest part, the Shattering.  We have known each other for only two weeks, but each team member feels like family to us.  Now it is time to go back to our lives as we leave Benin behind.  We said goodbye to our Italian, French and Greek friends in Paris and then when we got to New York we all went our separate ways.  We all put our lives on hold for two weeks to follow our heart to Benin, now it is time to reconnect with friends and family - yet at the same time each team member will be connected by all the good we did and our hope to reunite again to do more.

Each Clinic seems to throw up a phrase that is repeated again and again.  Our one was "The Elasticity of Time", ask any team member you know what it means.

We hope that OneSight goes back to Benin soon.  We have only scratched the surface of all the need that is there.  We will always carry the memories of Benin in our hearts.

C'est Bon

Merci

Au Revoir.

September 19, 2010

Clinic Day 8 - Crossing the finish line.

By jarnold

We arrived at Clinic this morning to a huge crowd of people (this has been true of the last couple of mornings). People are so desperate for our help that they will come from far and wide even if they dont have a ticket to get in just on the chance that they will get some help.  1400 people did have tickets so it was almost time to get to work.  First we had our morning huddle and then then we had a cheer based poem written in french by two team members Dr Laura Romain and Alessandra Bufano to thank our volunteers and translators who have worked tirelessly throughout our clinic.  Then two of our volunteers had a surprise for us.  They moved to the centre of the circle and started singing the Bandaid song 'We Are The World" in their soft african voices.   We all linked arms, local volunteers and team, members and sang along. There was not a dry eye in the house.  This is one Clinic moment that we will never forget.

Then it was down to work.  We are a finely tuned well oiled machine at this point.  With any team member being able to slot into any position and work at full speed.  And we needed to be because not only did we have a full day of recipients to help we also had to make sure all our volunteers got an eye check and glasses as well.  We achieved this delivering another 1400 pairs of glasses to the people of Ouidah making our clinic total 10,254- goal achieved!  Finally it was time to pack up clinic (the glasses need to go back to Italy, the Autorefractors and Dr's equipment need to go back to America so both can be prepped for the next Clinic they are needed on).  And it was time to finally thank and exchange gifts with our volunteers who made the successes we had at this Clinic possible.

Once all that hard work was done it was time to PARTY!  The Minister of Health hosted a dinner for us and then it was back to the hotel for dancing.  The party lasted till 3AM.

September 19, 2010

Clinic day 7 - We can see the finish line.

By jarnold

The team was in high spirits as we left for Clinic this morning.  As usual we were given our daily assignments and we had a cheer and then it was time to get down to work. 

I want to highlight three people we saw today.  They are special cases but not unique as almost every person who comes through clinic has huge needs.

We saw a 110 year old man today, he walked through the clinic process mostly unaided and was very happy to get a pair of glasses at the end of it.  Even our volunteers were surprised that he was in such great condition for his age.  This is a country that has no health infrastructure unless you can pay a lot of money  for it.  This man was naturally healthy even at his age.  We should all be so lucky!  Not only did we change his life by providing him glasses but the lives of his family as well - now he can do more things for himself.

We say a young man who had never worn glasses before, but the autorefractor said he needed a high plus prescription.  After consulting with Dr Courtland White we found this recipient the perfect pair of glasses.  The look of surprise on his face when he could look across the Clinic hall and see the OneSight banner hanging there was priceless for him and all the team members helping him.

One of the last people to come through the clinic today was a teenager who needed -17.00 glasses.  He had glasses but they were so scratched and damaged by age that we could not get a good reading through them on the lensometer.  They were also to weak for him to see correctly.  We found a couple of pairs of glasses from our stock that where prefect for his eyes and let him choose.  Another Ouidah resident can now see clearly because of OneSight :)

We saw another 1400 people today, meaning that we have changed the lives of almost 8800 so far  With a big day tomorrow we should hit our goal which will feel great.

Dinner was hosted by the CEO of our hotel at his opulent house, there was music, dancing and champagne.  A good time was had by all.

September 15, 2010

Clinic day 6 -  Rolling Rolling Rolling, keep those recipients Rolling!

By jarnold

Thank You OneSight! by Constant Somadjagbi

These words can not fully express the sincerest gratitude of the people of Benin for the first ever Free Eye Care Clinic of this magnitude in this small French-speaking country of West Africa. I am very grateful to OneSight for accepting the invitation to conduct a clinic in Benin, my birthplace. As the local partner of OneSight for this clinic, I thank the global team of OneSight and Luxottica for working so tirelessly over the past couple of years to bring this project to fruition. It took multiple visits of OneSight's representatives and my friend Franklin Mensah to Benin, countless hours of planning from the Luxottica teams in the United States and Europe to get this wonderful team of doctors and specialists, as well as tons of equipments and glasses to Benin.

The OneSight team in Benin is doing a wonderful job under the leadership of Mrs. Leona Dockery, to whom I say from the bottom of my heart: Thank You!

I would also like to recognize other partners in Benin: the Ministry of Health, the Lions Club International and the City of Ouidah for their contribution to the successful organization of this event.

Day 6: Rain or Shine!

This morning, as we rolled into Ouidah, the clouds that welcomed us were a precursor to passing showers that soaked the patients, the event staff and law enforcement officers for a good part of the morning. Inspite of the rain and intermittent power outages, our team managed to provide the Gift of Sight to 1456 patients today. By the end of the day, the sun did manage to shine through the clouds.

On the way back from the clinic site to the hotel, we stopped at a roadside "Art Gallery”, where some of us got off the bus to admire and acquire some beautiful sculptures crafted by local artists from ebony and other natural woods. We also had the opportunity, in the adjacent workshop, to observe the artists manipulate their tools with an amazing dexterity. We then hopped on the bus to Cotonou for a restful evening before Day 7 of Benin 2010 Clinic.

OneSight - Thank You for this wonderful experience: The Gift of Sight to the underpriviledged of Benin and the world!

September 13, 2010

Clinic Day 5 - A couple of impressions of Benin.

By jarnold

By Deb Black.and Dr Khan Lau

 The People of Benin

 Downtown Contonou is a bustling place…  There never seems to be a time when you don’t see a million motorcycles, mopeds, small cars and large SUV (mostly driven by the wealthy in the area).  The traffic flows like water… where there is a crack in the flow some one will squeeze thru… usually at high speed.  The other day coming back from travailing to Ouidah we came upon an accident.  One of the drivers of a small motorcycle was lying on the dirt in a puddle of blood.  Don’t know if he made it as our bus drove past.  Makes me think about how lucky we are to have EMS at home.  The things we take for granted.  KL

 

The people of Benin are so sweet!  They are grateful we are here and that we took time away from our families and our lives to come to their country….  Let me tell you more about these beautiful people     Their dress is very colorful!  The women wear skirts and dresses that wrap around their bodies with headdresses to match.  Babies are strapped to their backs with material that matches what their mothers are wearing.  You see these moms with big huge bowls on their heads filled with everything imaginable, possibly also carrying a stool with the babies snuggled to their backs.  What a site!  The men wear similar clothes…very long colorful shirts with bottoms to match.  As you have heard motorcycles are their main means of transportation…America would have heart failure if they ever saw how they get around here!!  Families are on bikes…2, 3, 4 people at a time!!  There are taxi’s on bikes …we identify them because they wear yellow shirts with numbers on them.  Picture hundreds wizzing by with no lights, no signs, no order…at all!      

 As of today, we have seen approximately 6,000 people since we opened the clinic.  Wow!!   The highlight of my day was dispensing glasses to this wonderful man who was severely farsighted.  He was about 50 years old and NEVER has had glasses in his life.  His smile was so big it covered his face and his eyes just lit up like a tree.  He hugged me and hugged me.  It so brought tears to my eyes.  I took a picture and with the help of my awesome translator told him I would bring it back to America!  We had given him his greatest gift…to see!    And this is why we are here…..Thank you all for walking this journey with us!  We appreciate you!  Deb.

September 13, 2010

Good times in Benin - What we did on our days off.

By jarnold

We are more connected then we think to Benin – this is the message we took away from the weekend.  This little African country that most people could not find on a map has a huge and lasting connection with America that we did not know about until now.

 By close of Clinic on Friday we had helped over 4300 people improve their lives, now it was time for us to recharge a bit.  So first thing Saturday morning we went SHOPPING!  With a few of our best interpreters we set out to the Artisans Market in downtown Cotonou.  There we started a full day of shopping to our hearts content,  Our local hosts helped us bargain at first, but soon we got the hang of it and money seems to be an international language of its own so shopping became very fun.  All manner of crafts and souvenirs  were available for a price that could always be negotiated.  Lets just say any friends or family of team members who are reading this blog can expect a little treat when we get home.

 Lunch was at a Costa Rican restaurant dinner was at an Italian restaurant.  Despite appearances this is a very multi cultural city.

 Sunday was a day to learn about Benin’s history, and how it is connected with America.  We drove from our hotel to the historic city of Ouidah where our Clinic is located.  Ouidah used to be one of the three main slave ports in Africa  (Ghana and Senegal were the other two).  As many as 75 million Africans left through these ports bound for the Americas.  We saw the Slave Market were the shippers purchased the slaves, we saw the place where they were held in pens until a ship arrived, we saw the tree which every slave walked around three times so their soul could return to Benin and finally we saw the “Gate Of No Return” which lead down to the beach and onto ships for transportation..  Just about every African-American can trace their roots from right here.

 To complete our history lesson we saw a reconstructed Portuguese fort (Britain, Holland, Denmark and the French also had forts here to support their investments in the slave trade which lasted in these parts for almost five centuries).

 To lighten the mood a little it was off the Voodoo temple of the Serpents where anybody who wanted to could have a Python draped around their shoulders.  About half the team tried this, many pictures were taken. 

 Our day in Ouidah was very interesting and humbling. A day we will not soon forget and a day we will carry in our hearts as the second week of clinic begins. Lunch was hosted by the Mayor of Ouidah at his beautiful house and dinner was back at the hotel. While we ate lunch at the mayors there was loud African music playing in the background - it sounded like Brazilian, Cuban or American music. This is another way that we are connected to Benin, we live our lives day by day to the rythems of this country.

 After dinner it was time for the silent auction – always a fun night on any mission.  After all was said and done we raised $3600 to help the people of Benin.  All credit for this huge success goes to Deb Black and her organizing committee.

September 11, 2010

We are the world, Part 2,

By jarnold

The thoughts and feelings about Benin and our Clinic by our French representative Daniela Lavable.

Hello je m adresse a tous mes compatriots francais he oui c,est Daniela dite Denise from Nice ici. En effet depuis que je suis ici je suis oblige d etre internationale, un team compose surtout d Americains, tres sympas , 4 Italiens avec qui je peux communiquer, une greque Efi,  Laura du Michigan pArle francais, avec moi

La vie beninoise est tres animee, les femmes surtout sont a pied d oeuvre depuis 7 heures du matin afin d qvoir du travqil, on voit environ 1200 patients chaque jour, sans commentaries, beaucoup de besoin ici, on est aide pour la traduction par une equipe d etudiants qui parlent les dialects locaux, ce qui n est pa peu dire. Beaucoup de joie ici , et de travail aussi, lever aurora, coucher tard………. Venez voir un peu …

Acceuillez moi Lundi 20 je viendrai avec le boubou local pour accueillir les visiteurs chez Luxottica France, OK

Un gros salut a tous, de Catherine Deneuve,  est ainsi que je me prenomme desormais

Catherine Deneuve dite Daniela pour Luxottica France

September 11, 2010

We are the world, Part 1

By jarnold

We are a team with one goal and one heart who come from several different countries in North America and Europe.  We Are American, Italian, French, Greek and Canadian.  And we all want to tell our story in our own way,    Here our Italian friends give us thier impressions of Benin and the Clinic.

Posted by Nicoletta  Russo, Carla Gabrielli, Marica Fontanive and Armando Da Rold.

Ciao a tutti dal Benin!!!

 Alle spalle una settimana abbastanza piena, circa 1200 e passa pazienti al giorno, non male per la prima missione da queste parti, vero??!?! Non vi raccontiamo dei sorrisi e degli abbracci, potete vedere da voi le foto.

 In questo momento stiamo cercando di ricaricare le batterie, ma come dire siamo nel Piazzale Loreto locale, avete presente Milano alle 8.30 del mattino?

 Un’esperienza che ci e’ stata prioibita: usare il taxi locale… Sapete COSA sono? Ve lo raccontiamo noi: se beccate un ragazzo su una motoretta con una maglia, o qualche cosa che assomiglia ad una maglia, gialla ed un numero sulla schiena, bhe’ ecco il vostro autista…

 Oggi abbiamo visto su uno scooter papa’ alla guida, dietro la moglie con in braccio una capretta (la cena, forse??) ed il bimbo attaccato con un foulard sulla schiena della mamma… Ci volevamo fermare a dargli un passaggio, pero’ la capretta puzzava un po’ troppo.

 Stiamo cercando di acquistare gli abiti locali, non avete idea di quanto siano belli e colorati, c’e’ un problema: dovremmo comprare la stoffa in Togo, convincere qualche “mama” locale a cucire e trovare un bambolotto da attaccare alla schiena… big problem here… Come ci vedete cosi’ conciati nei rispettivi posti di lavoro?? Marica, in infermeria che accogli chi si e’ fatto male urlando “mama, papa, c’est bon”, Nicoletta che accoglie gli investitori in ciabatte, Carla che usa la stoffa locale per “impreziosire” gli occhiali ed Armando… Bhe’ e’ gia’ abbastanza variopinto per conto suo.

 Qui ci fanno mangiare patatine fritte quasi anche a colazione, ma noi siamo riusciti a trovare un alimento fondamentale per la salute: la Nutella!

September 11, 2010

Clinic Day 4 - Finishing the first week strong.

By jarnold

Day four of Clinic marks our half way point, it marks the end of the first week so we were determined to finish with a bang helping as many people as we could.

Khan Lau led us in a cheer,   Allison Kiser (our Tech leader) gave us our assignments and we were ready to go.

We saw two patients we would like to tell you about .

Vincent (aged 90) came through our clinic today, he had never had a pair of glasses so when he got to Autorefract we were shocked to see that he needed a +12 prescription.  This RX was confirmed by our dedicated team of Docs and IMS found a great pair of glasses for him.  Deborah Black dispensed his glasses to him and immediatly he had a huge smile on his face.  Of course every team member who had helped him through the process did as well.  The chance to help somebody like Vincent is why we traveled to this beautiful country, and we have helped so many people like him during our  first week.

Stella (aged 3) came through our clinic with very bad cataracts. She was seen by Dr Katie Hertzberg We were unable to help her onsite but we are partnering with an Opthamologist in Ouidah who will see Stella in his office.  With his help Stella will reclaim her vision and be able to lead a normal life.  If Stella had not come to our OneSight clinic this week she would have been blind for life.  She is another person whose life has changed - and that feels so good!

Finally a story that does not have an immediate happy ending but it is a story that brought a tear to our eyes.  Christella (Aged 6) came through the clinic.  It was immediately clear she had a serious problem with her eyes, she had some kind of tumor growing on the front of both of her eyes. Dr Katie Hertzberg, Dr Mark Crafford and Dr John (Courtland) White examined her and could not tell what the problem was.  The case is going to be reffered back to the US to see if we can figure out how to treat her.  This pretty girl with corn rolls and her Sunday best white dress was able to see a little when she was given a Beanie Baby doll by Cyndi Jones - she immediatly pointed to the eyes.  We hope this girl, who we will never be able to forget, will be able to have her full sight restored and live a healthy normal life.

The need in Benin for our Clinic is almost overwhelming and we can only scratch the surface of what is needed, but in week two we will strive to help every person we can who comes through our Clinic.

September 10, 2010

Clinic Day 3 - We are rolling now.

By jarnold



First let me say a thousand apologies to all who are following this blog for its lateness, due to circumstances outside our control we were not able to get online last night.  I hope that those of you following this blog will be a little patient with us.

Todays blog entry is written by Mitch (Legs) Belinsky (ask him about "legs").

Thanks to a connection between Rick Hurley, from the Expense Payable Dept. at the CSC, who connected us with his friends, Jon and Ashley Barchus, as they are working with an orphanage, The Tree of Life, in Sokate, Benin.  They brought 27 children to our clinic today. What a blast we had serving their children and hearing their adventurous stories.  The trip took them 3 hours each way to reach us in Ouidah.   Each child received complete eye exams from our dedicated doctor team.  Each child received the care that they otherwise would not have been available to them in their hometown of Sokate.  We all felt their joy as all who needed it received prescription or sun protective eyeglasses.  It was an honour to serve these children and hopefully make thier lives a little bit better, the children will never know the joy they bought to all our team members hearts as we helped change their lives for the better just a little bit. 

 

Our doctors send their appreciation to Glee Jacobs for the Red necklace pens that she sent to clinic with Mitch Belinsky, as even prior to clinic start several of the doctors mentioned how great it would be to have those exact pens available.  With these pens our Docs are clearly able to mark each patients form when they need to be referred to an outside MD as there are just some conditions we just can't help with glasses.

Today we changed the lives of another 1200 or so people at our Clinic with many more GIfts of Sight to come. 

September 8, 2010

A Little About Our Clinic- by Dr Khan

By jarnold

Our clinic is located in what looks like an auditorium within a compound, the area used to be surrounded by grass but has been so worn out from use.  The building is old and drafty and the concrete floor is covered in dust.  There are two restrooms in the clinc but leak into the concrete hallway but at least there are no smells.  There is a second floor to the clinc but we are not allow up because there is no railing on the stairwell.  There is alot of trash both around the compound as well as all over the street in piles.  It is bleak to say the least.  in this enviorment I'm so suprized to see people thrive.  Our patients are so resiliant and so determined to make things better despite the hardships.  Today I saw a lady in the clinic almost blind from glaucoma with and infant strapped to her back, I wanted to cry when I saw her condition but she acted as if she was fine...... hard life makes you strong. 

A huge highlight of our clinc are our translator volunteers.  They are young, educated and full of smiles.  They have hope much like young adults do when they graduate.  Many speak multiple languages including French, Spanish, English, Japanese and Chinese.  I'm learning my native tongue from someone in Africa.  The volunteers act as translators, with the patients as well as patient escorts, crowd control, eye glass dispensers and all around gofers.  We could not run the clinic without them..... They are a key part of our success as they bridge us to the culture here.

Finally, One of our team mates left her back pack  with a laptop outdide in the middle of the patient waiting area but did not discover it until it was after dark, in a panic she went to look for it  and amazingly enough it was still there unopened and intact, nothing missing.  People here continue to amaze me.........

September 8, 2010

Clinic day 2 - we are starting to hit our stride now.

By jarnold

We left for Clinic at 7.00am all refreshed and ready to bring good vision to as many people as possible in Ouidah.  Once we got to our Clinic locataion Cyndi Jones led us in a cheer to get us even more pumped up.  Then it was time to bring the people in and see to their needs,

One of the first gentleman to come through was George, he needed a very very high +.  Dr Mark Crafford found the perfect pair for him in IMS, when we put it on him his face broke into a huge smile.  The glasses were a far better match for his vision then what he was currently wearing.

Next came Santelia (aged 9), she had never had an eye exam before and was having a hard time in school.  Oh yes.  She is also as cute as a button.  The Doctors determined that she needed a high - with high cyl as well.  Gary Tonsger found the perfect pair for this little lady.  When she put them on and could see for the first time her smile was matched by her father  and all the team members who gathered around and cheered.  What a great moment for us all!

Later in the day Dr Christy Munro saw a mother who was very worried about the health of her infants eyes (she was about 6 weeks old). Dr Christy quickly determined that the child had a severe infection in her eye and administered antibiotic drops. If untreated this infection could have permanently damaged this childs eyes, by treating her today we changed her life - this is what we came to Benin to do!

In all today we saw about 1200 people, they all recieved professional eyecare from our Dr's and glasses or sunglasses from our team.  What a great day!

September 7, 2010

Clinic Day 1 - Greetings From Benin.

By jarnold

Last night the whole team arrived safe and well in Cotonou Benin.  With one desire - to help as many people as we can see better than they ever have before.  Today we set off to Clinic where we completed the set up process and attended a welcoming ceremony to celebrate the Clinic.  The Mayor of Ouidah, the town the Clinic is in attended as well as other dignatories from Government, the local Lions clubs and the NGO (Non Governmental Organisation) that is hosting us here. The Voodoo King was also in attendance.

Then it was time to get down to work proper.  We all trained on each station. Station leaders are Ashley Hill on autorefractor, Damon Mackert for the Doctors, Todd Peters in IMS (Information Managment Systems), Mitchell Belinsky on the Chabellas (custom made glasses) and Cyndi Jones in Dispensing.  They all did a great job making sure we knew each position.  Once recipients started flowing in things went smoothly and we saw just over 600 people in half a day.  Tomorrow we will do more.

Internet speeds are a little challenging here in Cotonou, we hope to have pictures and more posted shortly.  Stay Tuned.

September 4, 2010

A Little bit about Benin.

By jarnold

Its the night before we leave and it seemed like it would be a good time to talk a little bit about the country that we visiting, so the folks back home can start to get a picture of Benin.  Most of the information here is gleaned from the Lonely Planet travel guide. Residents from Benin I hope will forgive any mistakes.

Benin (Population 6.7 million) is a relatively young country, situated on the coast of West Africa between Togo and Nigeria. In its current form Benin came in to being in 1972 a few years after its independence from France.  But Benin also has hundreds of years of history as well, this is where Voodoo was born and taken via the slave trade to Brazil and the Caribbean. The capital city of Benin is Porto Novo but its bustling heart and the location of our Clinic is the city of of Cotonou (More on Cotonou later in this post).  Benin is a young country - 45% of the population is below the age of 14.  It is also a politically stable country, but where 38% of its people make just a subsistence living from farming.  40% of people are Christian and 25% are Muslim - but most people mix these with a bit of the native Voodoo religion.  Benin boasts some of the best beach resorts and safari parks in West Africa and has a reputation of being safe and friendly to tourists.  

Benin's biggest city is Cotonou (Population 762,000) is located on the south coast of the country.  It is the countries main sea port and has its only international airport. The city retains the influence of its French colonists.  Its the business centre of the country and also has good restaurants and nightlife.  If shopping is your thing (and I think we will all want to do a bit of that) the Dantokpa market is the place to be - here you can buy a goat, machine parts, local artwork, souvenirs or anything else your heart desires.

So this is just a little bit of what Benin is.  As our Clinic progresses we hope to tell you how we are helping the people of Cotonou as well as tell you more about this country, its history and its culture.  Please stay tuned!

August 31, 2010

Welcome!

By jarnold

Hello, Bonjour!

Let me invite you to virtually join our African adventure.  Over the next couple of weeks we will be running a OneSight Clinic in Cotonou Benin.  Our team of 36 volunteers from all over North America and Europe will be spending two weeks giving complete eye exams and recycled eye glasses to thousands of people in Cotonou. Benin is a peaceful, happy but desperately poor country and the cost of eye glasses is out of reach for many of its residents we will help as many of them as we can see the world more clearly.

Each day we are in Benin we will be updating this blog with highlights from our vision care Clinic.  We will share stories of our recipients, experiences of our team members and a little bit about Benin itself.  We arrive in Benin on September 6th and hopefully we will be posting pictures and stories each day until September 17th.  So please check back every day or every couple of days to participate in all the excitement.  AND if you are interested in getting involved our team is raising money to help fund our clinic.  You can help here.

For those who are new to OneSight here is some background for you.  OneSight is family of charitable programs dedicated to improving vision through outreach, research and education.  OneSight is sponsored by Luxottica Group.  Over the last 20 years OneSight has helped more then 7 million people all over the world. Each year OneSight conducts two weeks Clinics where our our doctors and trained volunteers provide full free eye exams  and recycled glasses to thousands of people in need.  OneSight has operated 173 clinics in 35 different developing countries.  For 2010 OneSight has 20 international clinics planned.  For more information about these clinics and other programmes run by OneSight visit OneSight.org