Mission in Guatemala

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About Mission in Guatemala

Many years ago I went with a group to Honduras. We were a group of optometrists and opticians who gave our time and energy to help the local people to see better than they had in a long time.

As the years went by and the many trips, I decided to move permanently to Guatemala. I have been living here almost ten years now.

Many trained professionals from all walks of life went on these missions. They would write up a story for their hometown newspaper telling of all the good they did to help provide eyeglasses to people who could not afford them. They got a good advertisement from the paper so their paying clients saw that they gave something back to the community. In many of their own websites they published pictures and reports stating how many people were seen. Usually most groups would work for three to four days and then would take a few days off to tour the country.

I stopped going on these eyeglass missions because I felt we were not really advancing the lives of these people. It is really hard to give a good quality pair of eyeglasses to a person unless they get a good exam. Many of the exams that are made are done quickly. A used pair of eyeglasses are then given to the person hoping that it is close enough to help them with the problem that they have. It seemed that volume was what they wanted so they could report back what high number of people they had seen. Volume is not quality. I believe that we need to address the needs of these people and treat them as a First Rate Customer! Even if our services are free. Many times people are willing to pay to get a quality pair of eyeglasses so they really can see better! That is why I am here today to give them better quality at a price they can afford to pay! Most people can afford something and they too then can say how much they really appreciated the services that were provided.

There still are many of these eyeglass missions being done. More and more groups are involved and going to far away places. Africa, Vietnam, Central American countries are just a few of these places, that they go. Some go because of the adventure, others go to serve a real need.

That is why I am in Guatemala. I am with a group that give free eye exams and provide eyeglasses at much lower costs than they can get anywhere in Guatemala.

We would accept your donation if you think that what we are doing is in the best interests of the people we serve.