The Sumba Eye Program (SEP) has been an active eye program originally set up in 2007 and backed by Rotary clubs of Glenferrie and Kew since 2008. In that time over 1000 sight saving operations have been performed and over 10,000 spectacles supplied at low cost by the SEP optometrist. Rotary Glenferrie secured a $30,000 grant from The Rotary Foundation for eye equipment for the SEP many years ago to assist in building up the program. A change in partnership arrangements has secured the future of the program, now know as the Foresight Sumba Eye Care Program.
Since 2014, the SEP has sponsored and trained local Eye Care Nurses (ECN) in basic eye care and refraction of glasses to the local impoverished and under resourced people of West Sumba. You may remember that Nefry and Sanny, our 2 ECNs came to our RC Glenferrie club meeting a couple of years ago. We have two other ECNs in the background. However, after our last trip in early 2019 not only COVID stopped our trips, but the Global Health had a change in direction getting incredibly bureaucratic, steeped in red tape intended to attract DFAT funding. It conveniently overlooked the fact that the SEP was doing well with much funding from multiple Rotary fund raisers, and donations accumulated over the years. So much so that our NGOs in Sumba and Makassar decided to stop their association with RACS (Royal Australasian College of Surgeons) leading to a decision by the Directors of the SEP to transfer its Australian NGO partner to FORESIGHT Australia. The program has been renamed the "Foresight Sumba Eye Care Program".
This immediately won the support of the Sumba Foundation (SF), PERDAMI (Indonesian Ophthalmological Society) and the Ophthalmology Unit of the Hasanuddin University (UNHAS) to which I am an honorary lecturer. The program now has a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with all three organisations. I must point out that our ECNs have continued to conduct eye clinics within West Sumba and, every month the team in Australia gets an update on their work. The only problem is that the Foundation of Surgery via RACS has refused to hand over funding. RACS has now agreed to write to each donor to see what they are desiring, despite the fact that the money was always intended for the SEP. They are only owning up to 50% of the funding which they state is available (although the Directors have evidence that they are keeping 50% of the funds with no invoices). Unfortunately, we cannot afford the legal fees to fight this injustice. Happy to verbally take this further but please if contacted say that your donation is for the Sumba Eye Program via FORESIGHT Australia. Don’t be fooled by their wording which we have found misleading at the very least. All this happened during my second term as club President trying to save the program, I have been accused by RACS of bullying and worse. These issues caused more anxiety than any “spot fire” I encountered in my two year term as President. You all are aware that I am an enthusiastic backer of our women championing within our club. “Some of our best workers!”.
So, forward to the future. We are prospering under the umbrella of Foresight Australia, where I am now a Board member. After an influx of funds especially from a good Indonesian sponsor and some Rotarians, we have been able to complete our agreement and pay for another year sponsorship of the 2 ECNs. I am now planning a diplomatic trip in October to meet officials in Makassar and Sumba. This will be to re-establish links lost and check our equipment stored in the SF airconditioned warehouse. As RACS has forgotten it is all face to face dealing that wins confidences.
I will be happy to update the club after this trip. The program is aiming for a screening trip in April 2023 and a surgical camp in Oct 2023 depending on how our meetings go over there and the amount of funding we can gain in the ensuing year.