Mero Naam Evan

Today as our team barrelled down the rough and dusty roads, I noticed a group of small young boys that could not be more than 10 years old.  As I watched the boys run beside our bus, I couldn't help but smile because one of them looked exactly like my 10 year old cousin Zyrus.  Short dark hair, slightly tanned skin and a smile that was different from all the rest.  Later in the day after the baking heat slowly started to die down, I came across the same group of boys.  It was obvious that they had been waiting in line for hours because they were all squatting and taking turns drinking water out of a nearly empty one litre bottle of mountain dew.  I greeted them, talked to them as much as I could like saying "Namaste", "Mero Nam Evan" (My name is Evan), asking them their names and how they were doing because it was important. It was important to let them know that we cared about them and our team would do as much as we could to help them.  When I came across the boy that looked like my cousin, he greeted me with a huge smile and I did the same.  As I got to the age part of the registration, my interpreter told me he was 14 years old. I asked the interpreter to repeat the question again because I could not believe my ears.  This kid was no more than 4ft 9.  and he was older than me.  It was definitely one of the most shocking things I have seen so far on this trip.  All the kids my age look like 8 or 9 years old.

I tell you now the scorching heat was definitely not the hardest part of being in registration.  Over 500 people standing in what you cannot even call a line, holding on to the person in front of them for dear life is something I had to deal with for the whole day.  As I started to register the first person, I was already getting frustrated.  It took me ten minutes to finish because every two minutes someone would tug on my shirt and ask for a registration form.  And every few moments, someone would cut in front of another person and I would have to tell them to go to the back of the line.  The frustrating part is that the same people kept doing it.  They tried to find everyway to wear me down and get a registration form. I guess they thought it was okay because I was a young kid compared to everyone on the team.  One elderly man was so desperate he tried to grab the form from me.  Usually I would get mad but I understood their circumstances.  Their government is corrupt, no one listens to them and everything they loved was taken from them last year by the earthquake.

Evan in registration-controlling the line

Men insist on forming a separate line from the women

My parents asked me what I enjoyed about the project.  To me, besides meeting kids my age, I enjoyed being with this team. Everyone is so fun and they invite us out for dinner with them and give us candies, doughnuts, cheese balls and Fanta pop.  They are  funny and really make me feel like part of the team.

By Evan March

Midwest US meets Canadian/Nepalese:

As a Michigan gal, I came into this trip not knowing a single person from TWECS. I had also never been to Asia. My goals were to challenge myself, to learn something, to help someone, and to walk away with at least one new friendship. During the 27 hour trip from Detroit to Nepal, I stumbled upon a Michigan State University student who happened to be from Kathmandu. He calmed my nerves as I made my way through the visa process and the chaos of baggage claim, and he shared a few facts about his home. I felt as though I had made a Nepalese friend without even trying!
Next, I wandered outside into a sea of unfamiliar faces shouting and trying to offer me taxi rides. Amidst the confusion, I anxiously scanned the scene and rather quickly found my connection, David. We swiftly and easily made our way from the airport to the hotel. He offered me a much needed beer and I couldn't help but think that the universe seemed to be on my side; this mission was for the greater good and hence things were falling neatly into place.  

Exploring Thamel with some of the team.

With the introduction of each team member over those first 24 hours, I felt more at ease. But the true test of coalescing comes while working together under more stressful circumstances. That seemed to happen right away too, proven at our first make-shift clinic. That first "taste" of serving the Nepalese people came at the top of a mountain where the earthquake had devastated a two story school. Mostly school children were lined up to be seen and at the end of clinic, my eyes teared up and I was overcome with emotion. How unfair that these kids who already face the challenges of remote living lost their school? 

Over the next few days in Dhulikhel, the teammate bonding continued. Everyone was more than willing to help each other out whether it be lending rupees or sharing optometry equipment.  We were also able to continue to get to know each other better by shopping and eating together and through conversation. Some of us visited the world's tallest Shiva on the day of the festival of Shivaratri. Dr. Annu explained the meanings of symbols and rituals of this Hindu holiday and I was thrilled to be a part of it. 

World's largest Shiva

The next 3 days of clinic in Lalitpur allowed for yet another chance to learn and grow. All of us volunteers had Nepalese teenagers as our translators. They worked side by side with us in cramped rooms throughout each long day. They quickly learned what we needed from them and I never heard any of them complain about anything we asked of them. They dealt with our occasional frustrations with grace: patiently re-explaining or re-phrasing whatever was being misunderstood. And perhaps most importantly, their youth and energy brought a positivity to the atmosphere. They made the long, repetitive task of examining hundreds of patients more manageable. I was able to get to know a few of them quite well and I was very impressed. I feel fortunate for not only helping the Nepalese on an eye care level but for also being able to work side by side with them as essential members of our team. 

Some of our fun and energetic translators

All in all thus far, I've had numerous unforgettable experiences and moments. I've had patients who have touched my heart and I've definitely checked off my list of goals (with 5 days to spare!). 
This mission has further instilled two things: no matter where you come from, we are all far more alike than different. And, this, summarized perfectly by a quote: 
"Those whom bring sunshine into the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves." -J.M. Barrie
Dr. Rita Messing

A Small Dose of Hope

Line up in Registration in Tarkeshwor

Nepal 2016 is my third project with TWECS and although each one has been uniquely difficult and challenging, the  rewards of participating seemingly grow exponentially with each one. 

I should preface this by stating that I am not an Optometrist, or optician, and have no connections to that industry other than the close friendships and bonds I have forged with other project participants. I am not alone in this regard. There are always a few of us on each team, and while we don't treat the patients directly, we are still touched by their hardships, and want to follow their progress as they make their way through the clinic. 

As someone who suffers from high myopia, I know first-hand how difficult it is to function without proper vision, but it is impossible to fathom a lifetime without vision, living in abject poverty and hardship. 

In addition to prescribing glasses, the doctors I am privileged to work with also prescribe a small dose of hope. Maybe the glasses we dispense will allow a man a chance to work again, or a child to see the blackboard clearly for the first time, or a woman to earn some extra money sewing, or an elder to see the smiles of their grandchildren. 

Not everyone sees vision improvement, and there are always heartbreaking cases that we simply cannot do anything for, like the tiny 4-month-old infant we saw yesterday who had yet to open her eyes. 

But Marina and Derrick have built something small over the past 20 years that has managed to give that hope and make a difference to tens of thousands of patients. I have no doubt that when we leave Nepal in few days we will have touched several thousand more.

By Damon Rand

Why Would Anyone?

Why would anyone who's not a Doctor of Optometry or an optician volunteer to take two weeks from their personal life/work, pay their own way halfway around the world and work in sometimes rough, filthy conditions to supply people in the developing world or disaster zones with eyeglasses?

I'm glad you asked.

My best friend, and the most inspiring person I know, is an Optometrist who has done many such trips over the last 25 years. Through him, I began volunteering to clean and sort donated eyeglasses at a Lions Club warehouse in Burnaby, BC, weekly for the Third World Eye Care Society. I was impressed by TWECS, which is entirely volunteer run and directs every penny and all resources to actually helping the neediest - not to administration or salaries. 

Charlene at Registration

In 2009, on the heels of a horrendous 40th year (and all the first-world, midlife-crisis personal drama that implies), I joined TWECS on a project in Ethiopia. It was my first visit to Africa (where I have been many times, to many countries, since) and TWECS first visit to Ethiopia. 

The trip was an incredible, eye-opening experience in so many ways. As an introvert who works at a desk job, it forced me to come face-to-face with the neediest, poorest, least-educated people I'd ever encountered - and to dig deep and find kindness and generosity in my heart when I was hot, tired and at my personal limits in every way. I discovered the best and worst I am capable of as a human being, from petty to gracious snd everything in between. 

TWECS trips allow me (a former travel writer/editor) to experience relatively remote parts of world in ways no tourist or traveler ever could. As a journalist, I am acutely aware how much my life and career depend my literacy, which depends on my good eyesight. 

Before I came to Nepal I sent a fundraising appeal to colleagues and friends, subject line: "What is you couldn't see, read or write?" My friends in the writing and media community - some who do not make a high income - were incredibly generous, with gifts of $25-$100 (I raised an incredible $2000 in total). They all realize that without the gifts of vision and literacy, none of us would have the incredible lives we do in Canada.

At home in Vancouver, my yoga teacher tells us "Namaste" means something like "the god in me salutes the god in you." With hands in prayer and a small bow, I have said it sincerely to each of hundreds of patients I've interacted with in Nepal. We have so much, and it's so easy to give. 

By Charlene Rooke

I'm Glad We've Come......

By Dr. Michael Kellam

This is my first trip with TWECS and I'm now sure it won't be my last. We've had four clinic days so far- each quite different. This is certainly a poor country facing many challenges even before the earthquake last year.  But from what I've seen, I am confident that this country and its people will get by.

 Our group has been amazed in the rural areas to see entire mountain sides terraced for farming and all of this would have been done by hand. We've seen stone houses collapsed but beside it a structure made of corrugated metal which becomes the family's new home. We've been on high mountain roads where it seems implausible that a road should be, yet there it is - even if is rather rough and scary. 

A group of children aged 3 to 8 came in together yesterday. They were laughing and giggling, each sporting big smiles throughout their visit. We had assumed they were part of the same school or daycare but we learned after they left they were from an orphanage. Their smiles certainly did not relay that fact. 

I had an 8 yo boy yesterday who was nearsighted. Everything beyond arms length was blurred. He didn't say much as he put his new glasses on, but his eyes got very big as he slowly scanned the room. A 60 year old patient yesterday required reading glasses of +7.00 - that's among the strongest we carry! With a prescription like that she hasn't seen anything closer than a meter for about 25 years. 

  

The needs here are obviously great and is our little group of Canadian and American OD's really doing much? There are several large government and non-government organizations trying to solve the big problems of third world countries like Nepal. In eyecare, such goals would include building optometry schools, improving the training of local eye doctors and subsidizing local labs to make glasses and cataract surgery more affordable for the local populations. Unfortunately such goals take time- often much more time than they should. 

For the areas we've been to on this trip, I believe it will be many decades before such initiatives filter down to such remote or poor regions. So, are we making a difference? Absolutely! We've haven't helped everyone, we haven't perhaps contributed much to solving the long term eyecare needs of the country, but with the thousands of glasses dispensed on this trip we've improved the quality of life, employability, and educational opportunities for thousands of Nepalese. I'm glad we've come!

It Begins With Namaste......

The TWECS Nepal T.E.A.M. ( Together Everyone Achieves Miracles)

TEAM MEMBER EMMA MARCH

In Canada I wake up every morning to my usual routine. A nice hot shower,prepared breakfast,packed lunch and a warm and comfortable car ride to school. I have grown up like this, living a life full of opportunities where all my needs are met and I have everything I have ever wanted. But for other people its a different story. This Spring Break I had the opportunity to visit the remote earthquake villages of Sindhupulchok Nepal. The recent earthquake in April of 2015 has left Sindhupulchok in a mass of rubble and destruction. But for the Nepali people, this was nothing new, this was their life. I watched as children played on piles of broken bricks as if it was their playground, I looked down and saw a river full of garbage and girls my age carrying wood twice their weight up the steep rocky mountain sides. Our first clinic site was located at a community school. Rusty corrugated  metal made up the walls and roofs of the classrooms and uneven gravel made up the floor. I was shocked. I had no idea that schools like this existed. The students in the school were all different ages from 5 to 17yrs.old. 

A group of girls my age were standing in front of our bus and I smiled and waved at them. They giggled to each other and shyly waved back. Often times I would catch them staring at me so I went over to them, bowed my head and  said “Namaste”.  They laughed and said “Namaste” in return. We quickly became friends. They invited me to their homes for dinner and to watch a soccer match with them. One of the girls really touched me. She helped translate for me at registration and I offered my ring to her as a token of my appreciation. A few minutes later she came running after me holding something in her hand, “For you” she said in broken english. It was a beautiful bracelet. I like knowing that I have a part of her to bring home with me to Canada, so that I never forget her. 

By Emma March

My new friends from Sindhupolchuk

SHIVA FESTIVAL

On a Clear Day You Can See the Himalayas

Today the TWECS Nepal team had a later start, because it was a festival day for Hindu people everywhere. Several team members strolled the town in the bright sunny morning before our clinic departure, and were thrilled to see a gorgeous view of the distant Himalayas to the north.

Once every lunar month devotees recognize Shivrati, or a day celebrating the Hindu god Shiva. But only once a year comes Mahashivrati, a special nighttime vigil/celebration honouring Shiva. For the first time in several years Mahashivrati fell on a Monday, giving the Hindus of Nepal a long weekend! Plus, Dhulikhel, where we are currently based, is a short distance from Sanga, a town where the largest Shiva statue in the world, a 144-foot copper-coloured monument we passed on our bus ride, is located. All this to say it was a joy and a surprise to see so many turn out for our clinic in Lalitpur on a holiday!

Car decorated for Mahashivrati

Some of the team visit largest Shiva statue in the world

Lalitpur is known locally for its schools, and we set up at one where the cool, dark rooms of the concrete structure made good clinical settings for the TWECS doctors. Hundreds waited in the hot sun of the day while our second full clinic day hummed along, like well-oiled machine.

We had an outstanding day, serving 410 patients, and dispensing 271 pairs of glasses. Our youngest was only 3 and our oldest was a mere 95! 

First Patient of the day!

It was a treat to see these adorable kids.

KISSING BUSES...

 With a chilly, drizzly and early 7 am start, we took an epic 3-hour drive of cliff-hanging, guardrail-free uphill switchbacks. Our excellent driver frequently performed the delicate ballet of swooshing past oncoming trucks and vans, sometimes with only inches of clearance between us and them. Several times, we were close enough to literally shake hands or even rub noses with the passengers in the other vehicle: "kissing buses," you could call it?!

Within an hour we were in an area remote enough that we rarely passed other vehicles. When we did meet one head-on, it became a  friendly game of chicken to see who would back up to accommodate passing. At times we went no faster than perhaps 10 km/hr. People on foot sometimes passed us!

As proof of the remoteness of our mission: yesterday we noted the shyness of some of our local volunteer interpreters, and asked Bandita (from our host organization, the Nepal Women's Project) about it. She confirmed that in this region of remote farm villages, with no regular bus service and sometimes a few hours' walk to the nearest other village, many people were simply shocked to see a busload of foreign language-speaking visitors, with our matching uniforms, funny instruments and earnest "Namaste"s!

As we climb the mountain passes, earthquake-related destruction is everywhere: piles of rubble, abandoned farm terraces, badly eroded hillsides, random giant boulders, painstakingly restored bridges and roads. Signs marking the good works of UNICEF, the Chinese and Norwegian Red Cross and others abound.

Our clinic day in the village of Kunchuk started with a bang around 10:30 am, mainly with children and older ladies and gentlemen in line. by the hot midday sun, true to our hosts' prediction, dozens of other women began arriving en masse - those who had finished caring for their fields, homes and children then trekked to our clinic site. It pleased us that they had made the trip, as our host group is a women's program in Nepal.

Unlike other projects, where TWECS has had the relative luxury of a fixed clinic location, and often indoors with electricity, in Nepal we are mobile, creating "pop-up" clinics and stroking them at the end of the day. The rough dirt-floored sheds, tents and shacks that host us here are challenging for the ODs, who ideally require a darkened room to accurately complete certain types of testing. Without reliable electricity, many work with battery-powered instruments that can require increased skill to use. Hour after hour the ingenuity (taped-up garbage bags, cardboard, and other light-blocking tricks), patience and professionalism of these doctors is awe-inspiring. Some of them need to be begged to take a lunch break or a drink of water!

Visual acuity  tent 

Patients wait to enter  Triage, Autorefractor and Special Testing Stations

Dr. Nixon White performs Retinoscopy

David Sakaki performs Autorefractor

We noticed today that many people were wearing their "Sunday best" in an area that is predominantly Hindu. When one team member inquired why, he was told people dressed up "to see the doctors." So rare are foreign visitors here that the frequent developing-world phenomenon of begging foreigners for money or little gifts is unknown: the villagers expect nothing except the doctors' expertise.

Halfway through our clinic day, a septuagenarian woman was carried in on a stretcher, due to reduced-mobility issues. In Canada she would have a walker or a wheelchair; here she had no options. She was dispensed strong near-vision eyewear that might help her see sewing or other handwork, or perhaps her grandchildren's faces...

Dr. Rita Messing performs Retinoscopy to determine the prescription

Derrick March checks to make sure she has better vision with her new eyeglasses.

Dr. Blakolmer examined a patient who required -6.00D distance correction in one eye that was clouded with a cataract. Her other eye required a powerful +13.00D distance correction for vision. To benefit the "good" (non-cataract)  eye, Dr. Blakolmer recommended +13D glasses. Yet, when fitted with them, the patient was dissatisfied. When Dr. Blakolmer instead tried -6 correction on both eyes, the patient glowed with pleasure. What a serenity-prayer-style reminder that we can only affect the things we have the power to change - like achieving the best patient outcome.

Conscious of limited daylight hours and our long drive back to the hotel, at a certain point we cut off admission form distribution for the day. For the most part people are polite and understanding, but on every project there can be a few unruly individuals who can quickly turn an orderly lineup into an unruly mob. Teenage volunteer Evan literally "holds the line" by himself, turning people away with an understanding smile and firm conviction. His twin sister, 13-year-old Emma, is asked by a Nepalese girl what caste she belongs to, and Emma has to ask an adult volunteer what that means. It's a stark reminder of the extremely privileged lives, freedom and equality we North Americans enjoy.

Evan holding  the line in registration

Emma makes new friends

Our return route was a different, but equally cliff-hanging, 4-hour trip. At one point, some local villagers came to our aid when our heavily laden bus approached an impassible muddy stretch: they laid down planks to help us puddle-jump. At another point, all 18 of us pile out to keep the bus from bottoming out on a deep dip in the road. We arrive at the hotel after a 12-hour day: dusty, tired but satisfied we had helped hundreds.