Grants Approved at the January 2013 Lions Quest Advisory Committee Meeting: 15 Grants Approved, Totaling US$904,818

Brazil, Multiple District LB – Lions in MD LB received a US$100,000 grant to expand Lions Quest to schools in four new cities, reaching approximately 6,000 students. Lions will host four workshops for 90 participants.

Brazil, District LC-5 – A grant of US$25,000 was given to Lions in District LC-5 to conduct two workshops for 51 teachers. This will bring Lions Quest to 16 schools in two new geographic areas, positively impacting 2,150 students.

Brazil, District LC-6 – Lions in District LC-6 were given US$25,000 to conduct one Lions Quest workshop for 35 participants. Through this workshop, 471 students will be impacted. This project has the participation of 18 Lions clubs.

Brazil, District LC-8 – Lions in District LC-8 received US$25,000 to bring Lions Quest to a new area of Brazil through one training workshop held for 40 participants. Approximately 550 students will benefit from this training.

Brazil, District LC-11 – A grant of US$25,000 was given to Lions in District LC-11 to expand Lions Quest through two workshops to both public and private schools. Approximately 280 students will benefit from the workshops, which will train 34 participants on program implementation.

Colombia, Multiple District F – A grant of US$99,778 was given to Lions in Multiple District F to expand Lions Quest throughout Bulgaria. Lions will host 9 workshops, which will train 270 new teachers on how to implement the program into schools in 9 new schools, serving 9,450 students in three districts. Lions will also implement a Lions Quest database for improved data collection and evaluation, and use it as a tool to promote Lions Quest.

Indonesia, District 307-A1 – A grant of US$90,000 was given to Lions in District 307-A1 to conduct nine workshops that will train at least 225 teachers. This will expand Lions Quest to four new regions of the country, benefitting more than 2,250 students.

Italy, Multiple District 108 – Lions in MD108, Italy, received a US$100,000 grant to Conduct 20 workshops. These workshops will train 700 teachers at 100 schools, benefitting 7,000 students. Lions will also train and certify three local trainers, and print 30,000 copies of Lions Quest materials in Italian. Finally, Lions will develop a Lions Quest Italy web portal for data management and use it as an evaluation tool for the program.

Liberia, District 403-A2 – US$25,000 was granted to Lions in District 403-A2 to train 120 teachers through three workshops. This will allow Lions Quest to be implemented in six schools. Lions Quest will be taught to more than 4,500 students in these schools.

Nigeria, Multiple District 404 – Lions in MD404, Nigeria, were given US$25,000 to adapt the Lions Quest curriculum to the Nigerian educational environment and print materials locally. Lions will also organize a Training of Trainers (TOT) workshop to establish local trainers this year. Finally, Lions will conduct 10 workshops to train approximately 350 teachers from 10 private schools on program implementation.

Philippines, Multiple District 301 – A grant of US$100,000 was given to conduct 16 Lions Quest training workshops in the Philippines, MD 301. A total of 160 teachers and 32 facilitators will be trained. These staff members will serve 80 public schools in eight Lion districts over the course of two years.

Romania, District 124 – Lions in District 124, Romania, received US$25,000 to conduct three Lions Quest workshops for 65 teachers from 12 schools. These workshops will benefit approximately 2,200 students.

Tanzania, District 411-B – A grant of US$100,000 was given to Lions in Tanzania to expand Lions Quest to 300 more schools in 19 states. This will create a Lions Quest presence in nearly all of the Tanzanian states. Lions will conduct 19 workshops to train 650 teachers, and allowing Lions Quest to impact 12,000 Tanzanian students. The workshops will be conducted in Bucharest, Sibiu, and Timisoara to reach German schools in three different geographic areas.

Togo, District 403-A2 – Lions in District 403-A2 received US$40,340 to translate and adapt Lions Quest training and program materials into French for the Togolese culture. Lions will also conduct a two-day workshop to train 20 teachers and five Lions on the program. The implementation of the pilot program will benefit 300 students.

Uganda, District 411-B – A grant of US$99,700 was given to Lions in District 411-B to conduct 20 Lions Quest training workshops, which will train approximately 700 teachers in 100 schools. This will impact more than 10,000 students in a two-year period. Lions will also work to strengthen and increase the program’s visibility to enable Lions to seek government and corporate support.

Grants Approved at the January 2013 SightFirst Advisory Committee Meeting: 15 Grants Approved, Totaling US$3,374,981

Germany, District 111 - US$35,811 was granted to the Lions of District 111 to implement a childhood blindness focused project in western Cuba. Lions will partner with the Cubin Council of Churches, Cristoffel Blindenmission and “Deutsches Hilfswerk” (the German Lions Foundation). The project will provide additional training in retinopathy of prematurity to approximately 70 medical professionals; low vision rehabilitation training to 90 low vision therapists and optometrists; and training in inclusive education to 150 teachers. Additionally, 12 pediatric hospitals will receive upgraded equipment for their pediatric ophthalmology departments. An estimated 1,690 Cuban children will be served during the project’s three year implementation.

Hong Kong, District 303 - A US$353,600 grant was awarded the Lions of Hong Kongand the Hong Kong Society for the Blind to train 50 professionals from countries in the developing world that either have no low vision services or for those that have limited services and want to expand. The project will train these professionals to take on a leadership role to ensure that low vision is part of their country’s national prevention of blindness and vision impairment plan.

India, Multiple District 316 - A US$112,224 grant was approved for the Lions in Multiple District 316 in Andhra Pradesh, India, to establish a referral network for existing low vision services offered by the L.V. Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) in Adilabad District. This grant will support a survey and other outreach activities that will identify people affected by blindness, low vision and visual impairment, and refer them to LVPEI community-based eye care providers for treatment. Over 940,000 individuals are expected to be screened during this three-year project, 3,220 individuals will receive rehabilitation and training, and 285 self-help groups will be formed to help maintain the referral network after the project has been completed.

Mexico, Multiple District B - The International Eye Foundation, in partnership with the Lions of Multiple District B, was granted US$382,000 to implement sustainability planning workshops in Lions affiliated eye clinics and hospitals throughout Mexico. The workshops will focus on increasing the quality, efficiency and capacity of existing resources to better address the demand for eye care services. Small seed grants for equipment, infrastructure improvements, and human resources training will be provided to help the participating clinics and hospitals implement lessons learned during the workshops and move towards greater self-sustainability. Between five to ten Lions affiliated clinics and hospitals will benefit from this project over its three year implementation.      

Multiple District 300 Taiwan - The Lions of MD 300 Taiwan, in partnership with the Department of Optometry at Chung Shan Medical University, received a US$552,585 grant to enhance the availability of eye care services, especially in regards to uncorrected refractive error, in remote areas of Taiwan. The grant will provide and equip a vision screening vehicle, establish a Lions Vision Center dedicated to serving the eye care needs of the indigent, create a small spectacle production lab on the campus of Chung Shan Medical University and develop an online database to track and follow-up on patients. It is expected that more than 235,000 children and adults will be screened for refractive error, of which 7,500 will ultimately receive eyeglasses. A further 5,600 Lions and clinicians will be trained on public eye health screening and education, referral, and follow-up methods.

Nepal, District 325-A1 - A US$86,250 grant was approved for the Lions in District 325-A1 to provide 2,250 cataract surgeries to underserved populations in geographically remote areas of the country. The Lions of Nepal are committed to providing cataract surgical services to visually impaired individuals. They will further support this project by funding half of the costs of each surgery, and by identifying villages where outreach will be conducted and providing volunteer services during these events. 

Nepal, District 325-A2 - A US$86,250 grant was approved for the Lions in District 325-A2 to provide 2,250 cataract surgeries to indigent populations in rural, underserved and geographically remote areas of the country. Local Lions are responsible for underwriting half the costs of each surgery. Numerous clubs are involved in identifying project villages and volunteer during outreach events.

Sri Lanka, Multiple District 306 - A US$30,000 grant was approved for the Lions in Multiple District 306 to provide 1,000 cataract surgeries to underserved populations in Sri Lanka. Two Lions eye hospitals will lead the outreach efforts, with the support of local Lions membership to provide high-quality cataract surgical services to patients who would otherwise be unable to access eye care services. Lions are also responsible for underwriting half of the costs for each surgery, and will be involved in identifying areas targeted for outreach.

Turkey, District 118-U – Lions in District 118-U received a US$84,833 grant to increase the capacity of the Low Vision Rehabilitation and Research Center, Ankara, educate eye care providers, teachers and the public on threat posed by low vision and screen school children at schools for the blind or schools that accept children with significant visual impairments. It is expected that the center’s annual patient intake will rise to 1,050 patients, while 600 students will be screened and 350 teachers and ophthalmologists will receive training and information about low vision and low vision care.

United States, Colorado, Multiple District 6 - A US$200,050 grant was approved for the Lions of Multiple District 6 to establish mobile low vision services in the state of Colorado. Project funds will cover the purchase, renovation, and equipping of a vehicle to create a mobile low vision diagnosis and rehabilitation center. Local Lions Clubs will play an integral role in organizing and implementing pre-screening and educational events among senior living homes and retirement communities.  An estimated 525 low vision patients will undergo rehabilitation during the project’s 3-year implementation period.

United States, Missouri, Multiple District 26 - The Lions of Multiple District 26 were granted US$39,745 to integrate existing low vision services provided at the Vision Rehabilitation Center of the Ozarks in Springfield, Missouri, into the local school system. Over the project’s one year implementation period, an estimated 600 individuals in southwest Missouri will benefit from comprehensive eye exams, personalized rehabilitation plans, assistive technology, and orientation, and mobility training.

United States, New Jersey, District 16-C - A US$151,632 grant was approved for the Lions of District 16-C and the South Jersey Eye Center to expand upon existing community outreach screening activities and eye health education programming in Camden City, New Jersey. Through this grant, an estimated 8,400 underserved school aged children and 1,300 adults will be screened for uncorrected refractive error, of which 1,350 will be provided free or low cost glasses. Nine hundred and fifty homeless diabetic patients will be screened for diabetic retinopathy and an estimated 380 will be referred for tertiary care. This project will take two years to complete.