Peru 2012
August 24, 2012
TCAP Programs
Greeting to Legend Treks Supporters,
Many of you recently made generous donations in support of Legend Treks' first mission to Peru for the purpose of conducting Vision and Hope Clinics. I'll update you now on what has developed since we last met. The mission to Peru exceeded all my goals. We conducted "Vision and Hope Clinics" in one town, Cachora, which is located in a beautiful mountainous area about 3.5 hours northwest of Cusco. We were allocated two rooms in the village clinic. In one room I and one interpreter collected basic personal info and tested the patient's near and far vision. If the patient needed eye glasses for near vision, those were provided at no cost to the patient. The patient then went to the second exam room where Dr. Charles Henry, an ophthalmologist from Little Rock, performed a more detailed eye exam. He identified patients who had complicated problems, requiring referral to a more sophisticated hospital. He also provided free antibiotic eye ointment as it was needed. We saw 180 patients. This was the first time an eye clinic had ever been performed in this town. On one evening we went to a small orphanage near Cachora. We examined each child who had already been identified by the staff as having vision problems at the home and in school. Free eye glasses were provided to all children with near vision deficiencies.
Valuable contacts were made with local persons who will help us in the future. Dr. Nathan Henson is an ophthalmologist fro Atlanta, Georgia. He has recently moved his practice to Cusco. His eye clinic is now located in a charity hospital and he has generously offered to partner with Legend Treks as a referral hospital for cataract surgeries and other procedures requiring sophisticated support equipment and staff. I am particularly excited by the fact he has a mobile capability for most of the procedures he can perform. That means he can take his capabilities to the villages and towns we serve. This is very important because most of our patients can not afford the costs associated with traveling to Cusco or another city for the procedures they need.
When we discuss the future of Vision and Hope Clinics we must constantly be mindful of the financial costs and the need for reliable, adequate and long-term funding sources. I see promise for part of this funding to be provided by marketing Peruvian products in the U.S., with all profits sent back to Peru and dedicated to Legend Treks' vision care projects. I brought product samples back with me on this trip. The samples are hand made alpaca socks, mittens and belts. These products hold promise because they are easy to ship and are beautiful examples of Peruvian skills and are rarely seen in U.S stores. During the next two weeks several stores in Central Arkansas will be approached as possible vendors for these products starting in the late Summer and Fall.
I hope you will continue to support all of Legend Treks' current projects in Mali and Peru and I promise Legend Treks will constantly strive to deserve your trust will always be accountable to you for each penny we receive.
Best Regards,
Larry Boyd Nutt
