Eye Care Foundation is committed to making the construction of the second building for the Rwanda Charity Eye Hospital a reality.
Largely thanks to your support the Eye Care Foundation has already been able to finance a number of projects. They are all valuable projects with which we have helped many people in developing countries regain or improve their eyesight. We are not the only ones with this mission. Ophthalmologist Dr. Piet Noë, whom I meet regularly, has wholeheartedly committed himself to this cause in Rwanda.
“It is impossible not to feel empathy for people who are completely blind, for children with eye cancers or the many patients with other eye disorders.”
I have great respect for the highly experienced and dedicated ophthalmologist. He is currently deeply invested in the construction of the Rwanda Eye Care Hospital. The first building has already been completed. The second building is yet to be built. This building will house the patient dormitories, intended for the poorest patients in particular. And it is with regard to this building that I am writing this letter to you today. The eye hospital cannot open until the second building is ready and Dr. Noë is in dire need of financial support to make that happen. I therefore hope that you can help him with a donation.
This hospital is desperately needed.
“In Rwanda there are 18 ophthalmologists for every 12 million inhabitants. The number of patients with eye diseases such as cataracts, glaucoma and retinoblastoma is growing. Without treatment eye patients can lose their sight. I can`t let that happen, because in 80% of the cases blindness can be prevented or cured. Children with eye cancers die here because there are no facilities to provide the necessary treatment, whilst in the Netherlands practically all the children with the same disease are cured. In our new hospital we will be able to provide those treatments.”
The Eye Care Foundation wants to help make the construction of the second building a reality. It will make quality eye care accessible for all patients in Rwanda, be they rich or poor, and will help prevent or cure unnecessary blindness, as in the case of Felicité, an older woman who was blind in both eyes due to cataracts.
“Felicité could not do anything without help. Her eight-year-old grandson had to assist her throughout the day. Her joyous reaction when she was told that a cataract operation could restore her eyesight was unforgettable. Felicité made the long, arduous journey to the hospital together with her grandson. She was very nervous before the surgery, but the nurse was able to reassure her. The surgery went well and now Felicité can see again. She is overjoyed, because she has also regained her independence.”
In the Rwanda Charity Eye Hospital, African doctors will be able to follow training courses and specialize further. In this way, Dr. Piet Noë hopes to solve the serious shortage of skilled, well-trained doctors. Dr. Noë’s enthousiasm is infectious. He has formed a whole network of colleagues and partners, every one of them motivated to make the eye hospital a success.
More information on the Rwanda Charity Eye Hospital can be found in the project proposal.
I am impressed by Dr. Noë’s efforts and I hope you will be too. It is wonderful that the new hospital will be able to receive 12.000 (poor) patients and perform 3.500 surgeries annually. Dr. Noë’s estimate that, after the initial investment, the hospital can in time become entirely self-sufficient also appeals to me.
I hope that I can count on your help and that of other concerned people for this valuable project. Dr. Piet Noë needs €128.326 to complete the hospital so that they can start helping patients in January 2018. Every donation will be very gratefully received and invested responsibly. I would be delighted if you decide to support the construction of the hospital with a generous donation. Will you help Dr. Piet Noë give patients in Rwanda a chance at a better future? We are grateful for donations of any size.
Our deepest thanks in advance. I hope to hear from you soon.
With kind regards,
Ruud Wiedijk,
managing director Eye Care Foundation