Lions Clubs International Foundation News

April Message from the LCIF Chairperson: Vision for All through LCIF

Pediatric Cataract Initiative Changes Lives
"For the last year, Pradip’s study was affected, he was unable to see properly," said the mother of seven-year-old Pradip Tigga. She and her family live in West Bengal, India. "My husband works in the tea gardens as a daily wage worker, so it was really hard to take Pradip to private hospital because of the financial problems. But now, he is back to school and now he can play, read and walk without anybody’s support. It’s our wish that he is a good student and literate, successful person."

In 2012, Pradip received a pediatric-cataract surgery and free treatment as a result of LCIF and Bausch + Lomb's Pediatric Cataract Initiative (PCI) grant to Siliguri Greater Lions Eye Hospital in West Bengal. Through the PCI, the hospital is the recipient of one of six projects awarded around the world since 2010 to improve their local capacities to detect, treat and follow-up with the often complex pediatric cataract cases.

Lions Quest Expands
Lions Quest has expanded to reach a new total of 80 countries, thanks to the recent program implementation in St. Maarten. Working with the Ministry of Education, the St. Maarten Lions Club held a two day Lions Quest workshop in February that trained 72 teachers. At this time last year, LCIF’s positive youth development program was present in just 72 countries. Lions Quest is also working with local Ministries of Education in the Dominican Republic, Malawi, Peru and Uganda to expand the program further in those countries.