18 Jul 2018

President of Mahalapye Lions Club has raised concern over the diminishing membership of the charitable entity.

Speaking at the eye screening camp in Mahalapye on July 14, Mr Gadapaka Kumar said in the early 90s, the Mahalapye branch was the largest in the country with over 80 members.

Mr Kumar said the non-profit making organisation was mandated with addressing concerns of the society and therefore the dropping membership numbers would impact negatively on their mandate.

“We connect the rich and the poor and therefore I am worried that our community is not benefiting accordingly from us”, he said.

During the screening camp, Mahalapye Lions Club branch and Mercy Hand Foundation donated 140 reading glasses to the elderly members of the community aging 45 years and above.

Meanwhile, the founding Managing Director of Mercy Hand Foundation, Mr Kabelo Rampe said the charitable organisation had also seen it fit to focus on health relating concerns of the community and therefore had partnered with Mahalapye Lions Club in conducting the eye screening camp.

Mr Rampe had also appealed to members of the community to exercise regularly, adding that health practitioners had established that some eye defects were as a result of non-communicable diseases such as sugar diabetes. He therefore said exercising regularly to deter non communicable diseases would prevent blindness.

“Our wish as the foundation is to continue working with Lions Club and serve the people”, he added.

Project Coordinator, Mr Worku Herbaye said Lions Club was a non-political humanitarian service organisation that participated in a wide variety of projects to serve the needs of the local communities.

Mr Herbaye said the club also encouraged the business community to serve the community without personal financial gain.

He said sight first was one of the projects undertaken by the club.

Mr Herbaye said Lions Club in conjunction with Mahalapye District Hospital eye clinic and other stakeholders organised the eye screening activity, adding that they were hoping to continue serving the community.

“As Lions Club, we give and we serve,” he said.  ENDS