The Madison Lions Club has once again taken up the mantle of service by shipping thousands of pairs of eyeglasses and eyewear to Zambia, continuing its mission to ensure basic vision assistance across the globe. Lions International, founded in 1917, has the main thrust of action to support programs for the vision impaired and provide free eyewear wherever it is needed.

Dick Borner, Treasurer of Madison Lions and President of Madison Lions Foundation, said he and his wife, Alice, discovered the need for these donations while visiting Africa several years ago. According to Borner, they traveled to Zambia in 2017 to visit an old friend, and while in the country, they were able to personally travel with a mobile eye clinic on an “eye safari” and saw firsthand how simple and effective the campaign was in mitigating common and easily correctable vision issues.

“My wife had a dear friend in Zambia working as a missionary nurse and decided to visit her. She got me set up to go out on an ‘eye safari,’” Borner said. “I had no idea what it was, but it’s a mobile eye clinic out into the bush and provides vision care. Before the day was out, 56 people received glasses, eye drops, referrals.”

That experience had a profound effect on Borner and his wife; seeing the difficulties in obtaining essential equipment and the inability of local residents to access basic healthcare prompted the Borners to make a difference.

As a Lions Club member, Borner said he was planning to help the clinic in Kasempa, Zambia, before he even got back home to the states.

“It was such a fantastic experience, and I was so excited, and by the end of the day, I knew that the Lions had to get involved, and I was immediately preparing how we could ship eyeglasses to these folks,” said Borner.

Borner said that while in Kasempa, he was invited to visit a hospital to see patients who were recovering from cataract surgery.

“Many of these patients had not seen in 20 years; they were essentially blind,” Border said. “When the technician began removing the bandages one at a time, the cries of joy that came out of these people was just amazing. Their family members were there, and they were just as thrilled. It was an experience that will stay with me forever. I came home and shared that experience with my Club members. And since then, we’ve been supporting that mission with money and eyeglasses.”

Borner estimated that the Madison Lions Club has sent 5,000 pairs of glasses to Zambia.

The Borners developed a close relationship with the clinic Director, Jairos Fumpa, and plans were immediately initiated to get eyeglasses and, just as importantly, “shades” or sunglasses, a critical post-procedure device that patients need to wear after cataract surgery, shipped to Kasempa for use in their eye corrective programs.

According to Lions International, near or distance vision impairment can affect one’s cognition, independence, and even mental health.

Borner said, “Donating your old eyeglasses is one way that you can help improve the quality of life of those who cannot access the vision care they need. To me, this is extremely exciting. We want to get the word out. Just donating an old pair of eyeglasses at one of the drop boxes can have a positive impact on an individual halfway around the planet,” said Borner. “We owe an awful lot to the residents of Madison. Those donations have had an incredible impact.”

Federal regulation places legal constraints on the donation and/or second use of prescriptive devices that it is not possible to make donations of eyeglasses directly to Americans in need, which is why these shipments go overseas. According to Borner, the Madison Lions have shipped over 40,000 pairs of recycled eyeglasses to Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, Uganda, and now, Zambia over the last 20 years.

Borner offered his thanks to all who have donated to the Lions, adding that they had recently sent another shipment to the eye clinic in Zambia.

“The Madison Lions Club is overjoyed to announce with pride that another shipment of eyeglasses has just been sent to Mukinge Mission Hospital Eye Clinic in Zambia," Borner said. "A huge thank you goes out to all our Madison neighbors, local businesses, doctors, and shopkeepers for helping the Madison Lions collect used eyeglasses.”

For more information about the Lions Club, call Sharon Callahan at 860-5526-9341. Contributions may be mailed to the Madison Lions Foundation, PO Box 99, Madison, CT 06443. Area drop boxes include; Act II, Dr. Ecker of Madison, Guilford Savings Bank, Madison Dry Cleaners, Madison Eye Care, Madison Optical, Madison Senior Center, Madison Town hall, and St. Margaret’s Church.