Eye Care For All
Eye Care For All (ECFA) is a community-based charity that provides free individualised home-based and community eye care services for the less privileged, the elderly, refugees, people with disabilities, orphans and prisoners in The Gambia.
ECFA is a non-profit Association registered as an NGO.
The ECFA Mission
Working together we aim to prevent blindness and restore sight that has been lost. Together we can prevent blindness and restore sights that are lost. Most of the ECFA volunteers are health staff working with Ministry of Health of The Gambia. All are employed 5 days a week and their volunteer work is always at the weekends, Friday to Sunday. ECFA activity is totally separate to the day job.
The Evolution of ECFA
Working together to prevent blindness and restore sight
01
Fatoumata Gassama
Fatoumata came up with the idea to benefit less privileged people who find it difficult to access eye health care. It started with home visits to allow the monitoring of medications.
02
Community care
Then it progressed to field trips to the community for sensitive screening of glaucoma and cataracts. Volunteers were recruited and communities sensitised in advance of the screening weekends. Patients were then referred to Eye Centres.
03
Staff empowerment
Individual staff began to start saving around Dal 200 (£3.50) from their monthly salary. Their salaries are approximately £100p.m..
04
Outreach
This work led to the need for sponsorship of Field Trips and associated operation and medication costs, including the: US Embassy, Lasting Solution Estate Agencies and Motibantang Youth Association to name a few.
An ECFA field trip
On 2nd July 2019 ECFA volunteers travelled to Kaur in the northern part of the country, CRR (Central River Region), on a Cataract Surgery Camp. All for a total cost of Dal 25,000 / £380.
Our recent community outreach was a cataract surgery camp in Kerewan North Bank Region. The community is about 150KM from the city of Banjul after crossing the river to Barra. The team arrived Friday night, conducted the camp on Saturday and returned home on Sunday to go back to their work at various departments first thing Monday.
aidgambiaTCHC is ever proud of what they do and will not relent in our efforts.
How your donations help
As a community-based organisation, Eye Care For All greatly appreciates donations and sponsorships in their efforts to preserve the vision of the most vulnerable. Here are some examples of how funds* are used.
Cataract operations
One sight saving operation costs £16.50
( Dal 1000)
Medication
£26.50 covers the cost of medication after an operation
Protective eyeware
Supplies of UK standard reading glasses and UVA sunglasses are prioritised
*all costs are approximations
