Reaching the Unreachable

In the southeastern most province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Haut Katanga, in and around the city of Lubumbashi, over 15,000 children and almost 1000 teachers’ eyes have been screened and tested for prescription glasses. Many of those who needed glasses received them before the end of the day. This was all done by local health care workers, many of whom are repatriated refugees and the story of how we got to this point is nothing short of a miracle.  

In 2001 17-year-old Bahati Mutabesha, Safari to his many friends, life was turned upside down by civil war and violence. He and his family lived in the outskirts of Goma in the province of North Kivu, DRC.  Safari’s father was a well known and respected Mennonite Pastor who was known in the community for being a peace maker in a region of great tension.  That tension suddenly spilled over into violence one terrible evening. Safari’s mother and father and all but one sibling were killed.  Safari did know for many years that his eldest brother had survived. Safari himself suffered a savage blow to his head. Twenty-three years later, you can still see the scar.  

Safari awoke many hours after the attack, covered in blood.  After a journey over a two-and half-years, Safari eventually ended up in Malawi at a UN Refugee Camp called Dzaleka. During those first few months Safari met up with three other young Mennonite church members. Out of that small bible study group, based on the principles of peace and reconciliation that his father had instilled in him a church was started.  That single church has since grown to over 85 churches with over 18,000 members across Malawi today. 

In 2018 Greg Wiens, Director of Programing with Global Vison 2020 and partnering with Multiply Network, which does relief and development for the Mennonite Brethren Church, in partnership with the Mennonite Brethren Seminary traveled to Dzaleka. Greg was along to help pastors, both men and women, who were being trained in trauma counselling and care to give prescription glasses to the students who needed them.  

Initially 12 people were trained (seven women and five men) who would go on to be the backbone of the team that would eventually distribute tens of thousands of glasses in and around the Refugee camp using the U-See self refraction eyeglasses system that Global Vision 2020 created. In under three hours a nurse or teacher can be trained to accurately find the correct spherical correction and make the eyeglasses at the sight for under $5 per pair.    

One that first trip both Safari and Greg dreamt about refugees from the DRC going back home and making glasses in their home community in a sustainable way. In 2022 that dream came true. Two families made the journey to Lubumbashi to lay the groundwork for eye clinics.  

And so much has happened since they returned home.  Just this past years 15,000 children and almost 1000 teachers have been tested and screened for glasses.  In total over seven thousand glasses have been sustainably made for hard working doctors, nurses, truck drivers, police officers, teachers and students.  Eleven workers now make a living wage making and selling the glasses while transforming the community that they live in, in a sustainable way.  

The need is so much greater than a few thousand glasses. Safari and team dream about growing their project so that every teacher and student in Haut Katanga Province can have access to prescription glasses. Greg Wiens with Multiply Network and Bati-Safari with Shalom Ministry are actively seeking partners to grow the project so that every student and teacher in Congo can have access to prescription glasses.