The Saint Lucia Blind Welfare Association (SLBWA) has secured a US$136,000 donation to upgrade its eye-care services, in what its president says could be the largest single contribution ever received by the organisation.
The funding from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will finance new equipment for the Association’s Eye Care Saint Lucia Clinic, strengthening its ability to detect and manage conditions that can lead to blindness and other forms of vision loss.
The donation was formally handed over on Friday, September 25, at the Church’s facility in Vigie, Castries.
SLBWA President Glen Simon said the contribution represents a major breakthrough after previous attempts to secure funding for equipment did not all materialise.
He described the US$136,000 contribution as among the largest — if not the largest — donation received by the Association and said it could significantly strengthen the SLBWA’s capacity to serve Saint Lucians.
But the Association is already looking beyond its existing clinic.
Executive Director Anthony Avril said the SLBWA wants to expand eye-care services through outreach centres in communities across the country, improving access for people who may otherwise struggle to obtain specialised care.
Simon said the organisation also has its sights set on establishing a mobile eye-care clinic, which could take screening and other services directly into communities.
The expansion forms part of the SLBWA’s longstanding focus on the prevention of blindness, particularly through early detection and intervention for people at risk of developing serious eye conditions.
Administration and Projects Manager Deborah Palmphille-McLean said the new funding will strengthen the Association’s ability to provide care to people living with blindness as well as those affected by conditions that threaten their sight.
The donation also builds on an existing relationship between the SLBWA and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Church Communications Director Tasha Jn Paul said the organisations have previously collaborated on initiatives including the Kids Insight programme.
She said the Church hopes the equipment purchased through the latest contribution will make a tangible difference in the lives of people living with blindness and other serious eye conditions.
Jn Paul said the organisation has also supported other community initiatives in Saint Lucia, including the National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO), and intends to continue working with communities across the island.
For the SLBWA, the latest investment is expected to translate into greater capacity to prevent avoidable vision loss while improving access to care for Saint Lucians who are blind, visually impaired or at risk of losing their sight.
