How Your Generosity is Helping the Blind to See in Gabon, Africa

Dr. Wendy Hofman, a missionary ophthalmologist, and her husband Eric have been serving at Bongolo Hospital since 2009. The eye ministry there serves the people of Gabon and, through their ophthalmology residency program, trains African doctors that can be part of the solution for the future of eye care in Africa.  

The eye care need in Gabon is great. The busiest government hospital in Libreville, the capital city, performs only a few cataract surgeries per week. This leaves many Gabonese to simply live with blinding cataracts. Dr. Hofman performs several types of surgery, the majority of which are for cataracts and glaucoma. She and an African doctor she has trained perform 70% of the cataract surgeries in the country. Dr. Hofman shared this compelling story from a recent patient: 

“Mama Mélodie is a 55-year-old woman from the capital city of Gabon. She was blind in both eyes from cataracts, and went to several different clinics there but was told cataract surgery would be $2,000. She was despairing, but then heard that at Bongolo the cost was less than a tenth of that amount. She had surgery and now can see. She testifies that God is here, that his presence is here and that truth is here.”  

What an impact. Gifts to MedSend support the Hofmans and other missionaries who are not only serving but are training others to serve as well. Your generosity is changing the world and it’s certainly changing the world for Mama Mélodie. 

A gift to MedSend is an investment in long-term sustainable healthcare solutions in some of the most vulnerable communities around the globe. Making a donation is easy. You can do it right here.