german
frenchWell sinking at MANNA Eye Clinic in Nkongsamba
The MANNA eye clinic in Nkongsamba is situated 120 km from Duala, a seaport and economic centre. In the 1970s it was the country's third biggest city after Duala and Yaounde. But since the collapse of coffee trade in the 80s, the once flourishing area has turned into an ever poorer city with a decreasing population in a yet highly populated region. Instead of coffee cultivation, the people now live from subsistence economy, i.e. they live from hand-to-mouth, others are small salespersons.
Before Mrs. Elisabeth Herz M.D. came there, the ophthalmologic care of the whole region had been rather bad. There used to be no eye doctor in a city of 150.000 inhabitants. The closest recognized eye doctor was 150 km away in Bafoussam.
Mrs. Herz M.D. established a new eye clinic in rent rooms under sponsorship of the recognized non-governmental organization "Friends of Eye Clinic St. Mathieu". Her numerous friends in Germany, the German Catholic Association of the Blind as well as aa/D assisted her. In order to be able to reach the 16 more remote associated offices on a regular basis, a cross-country vehicle has been purchased. Further, an optics workshop has been established and two employees have been sent to Ghana to receive training as opticians. Several German eye doctors sacrificed their vacation to voluntarily help with eye surgeries on an ad-hoc basis. Recently, a neighbouring house has been bought and renovated to primarily host surgery patients.
A small groups of friends and the aa/D formed a partnership that takes care of continued support. The extension of the eye clinic is far from being completed. Further rooms and the storage space have to be renovated. A kitchen for the patients is needed, because the patients are self-supporters and their relatives prepare their food. A wall of at least two meters has to be built around the house for the patients' protection and as defence against thieves. But more importantly, a well and a rain water reservoir are about to be built, in order to secure the water supply of the eye clinic. This will be the next project, as soon as sufficient donations have been collected.