One of our group's opticians at the forefront of solidarity: Samburu Mission in Kenya
The Santa Luzia Optical Centre, member of the Institutoptico network, has joined the Samburu Mission humanitarian initiative and donated over 450 pairs of glasses to Kenya, giving hundreds of Kenyans the opportunity to regain their sight and significantly improve their quality of life.
The Egaz Moniz School of Health and Science’s international humanitarian mission, coordinated by dentists André Mariz de Almeida and Catarina Martinho, will be present in the Samburu and Nairobi regions of Kenya until 20 August. The mission aims to provide humanitarian aid and basic life support to over 3,000 children and adults.
When seeing is the first step to living better
The Santa Luzia Optical Centre’s donation of prescription glasses is an essential addition to this mission, enabling people to resume their daily activities and ensuring their livelihood.
The donated glasses were given by the store’s customers, carefully reconditioned and sent to Kenya, where they will be distributed free of charge to those who do not have access to eyeglasses, which will allow them to improve their quality of life.
Many of these people struggle to find work and provide for themselves and their families due to poor eyesight, one of the urgent problems that this initiative aims to alleviate.
A simple gesture, a profound impact
Inês Caçador, manager of the Santa Luzia Optical Centre, says: ‘We believe that good vision is a basic right and that everyone should have access to healthcare when they need it. By donating these glasses, we are providing not only complementary healthcare equipment, but also a better life for these people, while involving our customers in this mission. We are very happy to be joining the Samburu Mission in this noble cause, and we hope that this initiative will inspire other companies to do the same.”
André Mariz de Almeida, Head of the Samburu Mission, says: ‘One of the things that struck me most when preparing for this mission was when people asked me for used glasses. When there is nothing, when being healthy means having something to eat that day, eyes and vision are a luxury. It is beyond gratifying to have the privilege of witnessing someone, who could not see well enough to survive, being able to see everything around them because they have been given a pair of donated glasses that were locked away in a drawer. Every day of this mission, I was moved by the difference the glasses we brought from Portugal to Kenya made to people’s lives. We always think we can do more; it seems so little to us, but for those who have nothing, a little is everything. Asanti sana, thank you very much to everyone.”
Commitment to a fairer world
Through this initiative, Santa Luzia Optical Centre and Institutoptico reveal their deep commitment to social responsibility, contributing to a more just and equal world. The donation of glasses is a gesture of solidarity that will transform the lives of thousands of people in Kenya, by giving them the opportunity to see the world from a new perspective and build a more promising future.
