Second « Refraction and Affordable Glasses » Project

INTRODUCTION

This document presents a Second “Refraction and Affordable Glasses”Project (the Project) and a request to LCIF for a Special Grant of $ 50,000 to finance 75% of the Project cost. The first project of this kind, a Pilot project, was supported in 2004 by LCIF with a Special Grant of $ 48,800. The Pilot project has been completed with great success benefiting a large number of low income adults, school children and factory workers which otherwise would not have been able to improve their vision and pursue their daily life, study and work. The new Project is for a continuation of that action and its extension to rural areas.

RESULTS OF THE PILOT PROJECT

1.Since its beginning in October 2004, LSFM’s Center for Refraction and Glasses (the “Center”) receives a daily affluence of adults searching to improve their vision.  An initial complete eye examination by an ophtalmologist is designed to ensure the absence of other vision pathologies, like glaucoma. The person  cleared by the ophtalmologist is then treated by a refractionist who’ll determine the power and type of glasses needed to improve its vision. In the final stage, the glasses needed are delivered immediately if the “ready made”version or a few days after if the glasses are of different power and need to be mounted. The mounting is done at an outside optician workshop. As of November 2006, 15,230 pairs of glasses have been delivered for which a contribution of only $ 5 is demanded for the eye examination and the glasses. The objective of 10,000 pairs in two years set up in the Pilot Project was exceeded by 50%.

2. For school children, teachers in each of the 89 Primary Public Schools of Antananarivo have received training to carry out the 6 meters test of children’s vision. All children of 6, 10 and 14 years are tested.LSFM then send it’s minibus to each school to bring to the Center those children which have failed the test. At the Center, the same procedure as with adults is followed, except that children eyes are dilated to ensure a correct refraction. Children spectacles are furnished with glasses which are unbreakable and with anti-scratching treatment. A modest contribution of  $ 0.50 is demanded from their parents for those children which receive glasses. Large number of teachers also have benefited from the project and their contribution is of only $ 1. Now in its second year, teachers repeat their test with other children of same ages as above and LSFM proceeds to treat those children with vision problems.

3. For factory workers, mainly workers that do manual work, the project only started to deal with them since October 2006, after the work with adults and school children was well under control. A team of LSFM refractionists visits the factory, the workers don’t have to go out and loose work time. In a first stage, a 6 meters vision test is carried out on all workers. Some factories have over 1,000 workers. In a second stage, refraction work is carried out on those that showed problems at the test. Glasses for those in need are delivered immediately or a few days later if mounting is needed. A contribution of $5 is demanded for each worker that receives glasses and the same amount from the enterprise who’s going to benefit from the workers improved productivity.

4. None of the project beneficiares would have been able to improve their vision going with their own income. Glasses available in optic shops cost between two to six of their monthly salaries neither could they afford a consultation with an ophtalmologist. From the financial point of view, after the initial investments made with LCIF Special Grant funds, the project is self sustaining. The Lions from France, Italy and Spain donate to LSFM important quantities of glasses from their recycling centers and low cost glasses are purchased. from China and India. Financial contributions have also been received from UNICEF and from ESSILOR International of France for the school children component. Christoffel Blinden Mission (CBM)has provided support for materials and the purchase of the minibus.

5. With ESSILOR International and CBM assistance, ten refractionists have been trained, six of them work for LSFM and four others in Ophtalmology Services in the Provinces.

THE NEW PROJECT

6. The proposed Second Refraction and affordable Glasses Project aims at two objectives:

1. first, to achieve autonomy for the mounting of glasses by establishing and operating its own optic workshop; and
2. second, to expand the Project services to rural areas sorrounding the Capital, by owning and operating a proper vehicle.

 The Optic Workshop:
7. At  present, the number of glasses to be mounted is 200 a month and this number is going to increase as refraction service will be extended to schools and population outside the Capital. Having in-house capability for mounting spectacles will save the amount paid now to commercial optic shops for that service. It ‘d also save personnel time for handling the glasses and frames to and back from the opticians as well as the administrative cost for that operation.
The estimates for the net savings shown in Annex 1, demonstrate that the initial investment cost of the workshop will be fully recovered after four years of operations.

8. ESSILOR International, is participating in this Project in two ways. By providing part of the workshop financial cost and by taking responsibility for training the staff that will operate the workshop.

The Project Vehicle:
9. A suitable vehicle, four wheel drive, is needed to transport the refractionists, with their equipment and spectacles, for their visits to small towns and villages, located within a radius of 100km from the Capital. The vehicle would be driven by one of the refractionist, hiring of a driver will therefore not be needed.

10.PROJECT COST                           U$S             U$S

Optic Workshop

11.PROJECT FINANCING

12. LSFM will cover the cost of salaries and running expenses for the optic workshop as well as for the fuel and maintenance expenses for the four wheel drive vehicle.

13. PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION
LSFM will be responsible for implementing the Project. A suitable room in its Center, with electricity and running water, is available for the installation of the optic workshop. Training of personnel will be done with assistance from ESSILOR International, a firm with substantial experience in this field. For the four wheel drive vehicle, local auto dealers offer good after sales service for maintenance and repairs.

14. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
Thanks to the initial support from LCIF, LSFM has been able to establish a service of refraction and affordable glasses for low income people which otherwise can not correct their refractive errors,improve their vision and adjust to daily life, study and work. The success of this activity has attracted the cooperation of other donors, like UNICEF, ESSILOR International and CBM.  The proposed new Project will enable LSFM to improve its efficiency, reduce running costs by having its own workshop for the mounting of spectacles.
It’ll also allow LSFM to extend the refraction services and provision of glasses to rural areas around the Capital. LSFM has a good record in making use of LCIF/SIGHT First grants havin achieved some 30,000 cataracts surgeries and the provision of  over 15,000 pairs of glasses to low income people. The Special Grant requested from LCIF, of $50,000, will make possible the good continuation of this work.

Le projet « Centres de Formation de pépiniéristes »

1. Le contexte justifiant le projet

A Madagascar beaucoup d'arbres sont actuellement détruits  en raison des feux de brousse ou à cause de  techniques de culture  désuètes (utilisant la terre préalablement brûlée). Selon le  Gouvernement  Madagascar doit planter plus de 50 millions d'arbres  tous les ans pour protéger son environnement.   Toutefois moins de 10 millions d'arbres sont actuellement disponibles  et plantés, ce qui est très insuffisant pour assurer le reboisement. En  conséquence le Gouvernement a lancé, depuis 2005, de grands projets  pour préserver la dégradation de l’environnement et encourage la  population à replanter des arbres.

Les Lions Clubs de Madagascar, avec les jeunes membres des Leos Clubs, souhaitent contribuer de manière positive à cet effort en  soutenant les activités liées à l'installation de  pépinières dans les zones rurales.  L’idée de ce projet est d'organiser des stages spécialisés en vue de former de  jeunes pépiniéristes, avec les  objectifs suivants:

3. Conception et plan de réalisation du projet

Le Projet va réhabiliter et équiper des salles de classes et des lieux d’internat dans les Ecoles agricoles existantes, dont certaines infrastructures seront mises à la disposition du Projet pour y abriter des « Centres de Formation de Pépiniéristes ». De nouveaux Centres de Formation pourront être créés, plus tard,  dans les villes où il n’en existe pas alors qu’un Lions Club y est déjà implanté. L’objectif est de pouvoir accueillir, dans chaque Centre de Formation, des promotions de 40 stagiaires par an.

La durée totale du Projet est de 6 ans.

Les stages de formation seront animés par du personnel enseignant et des techniciens agricoles, qui seront mis à la disposition du projet par les Ministères chargés de l’Agriculture, de l’Environnement et des Eaux et Forêts. Les dépenses de fonctionnement, pour les infrastructures des Ecoles agricoles utilisées par le Projet, seront prises en charge par l’Etat et feront partie de leur contribution financière.

 Le Projet comprend 3 phases. La phase 1, démarrée en 2006, concerne la mise en place du Centre de Formation dans les locaux existant d’Ambatobe (à Antananarivo) et le financement des frais de stage pendant 3 ans pour ce Centre. La phase 2, qui démarre en 2007, concerne la mise en place de 7 Centres de Formation, dans des locaux existants ainsi que le financement des frais de stage pendant 2 ans pour chacun de ces 7 Centres. La phase 3 concerne la construction (éventuelle) et l’équipement de nouveaux Centres de Formation ainsi que le financement des frais de stage pendant un an pour chacun de ces Centres.

4. Suivi et évaluation

La mise en place de chaque Centre de Formation sera assurée par des Partenaires liés par des contrats. En ce qui concerne la FNCLM le suivi du Projet sera assuré par chacun des Lions Clubs implantés dans les Régions Administratives où un Centre de Formation sera mis en place.

Les indicateurs, utilisés pour mesurer la réalisation du Projet, seront : le montant des dépenses de mise en place de chaque Centre de Formation (à comparer avec le budget prévu initialement), le nombre annuel de stagiaires qui ont pu implanter leur pépinière (par rapport au nombre de stagiaires qui ont été formés), le nombre de jeunes plants produits par les pépinières (par rapport à la demande exprimée).

5.  Capacité organisationnelle et Gestion du projet

6. Budget

Tous les montants indiqués ci-dessous sont exprimés en K$US.
 
Le Tableau n°1 «  Récapitulation générale » résume les dépenses à engager par année. Le Tableau n°2 « Engagement de la FNCLM » résume les dépenses pour lesquelles la FNCLM recherche du financement. Le Tableau n°3 «  Engagements des autres Partenaires » est une estimation des dépenses qui sont prises en charge directement par les autres Partenaires de la FNCLM (c’est, principalement, l’Etat à travers les Ministères et les Organismes qui auront signé des Contrats de Partenariat avec la FNCLM)

Tableau n°1 : Récapitulation générale

Tableau n°2 : Engagement de la FNCLM

Tableau n°2 : Engagement des autres partenaires

7. Les réalisations au mois de juin 2007

7.1 Recherche de financement

Le total des financements trouvés à Madagascar (auprès des Lions Clubs et Leos Clubs de Madagascar, l'état, des Membres Lions, des Sociétés privées, etc.) est  évaluée à US $ 23.280 (voir Annexe 1).
La LCIF (Lions Clubs International Foundation) a accordé une subvention de US $ 63,652.

7.2 Formation en cours

• Réhabilitation et équipement d’un internat;
• Paiement des enseignants;
• Allocation de vivres pour les repas;
• Financement du séjour pour des stages pratiques (3 mois);
• Organisation des stages pratiques auprès de pépinières existantes.