To celebrate our marriage we have chosen 3 charities, one local, one national and one international; each has its own Just Giving page.  Sightsavers International is the international charity.

We were very fortunate to be able to join with Sightsavers International in a visit to Kenya, Tanzania and Zanzibar last year.  The purpose of the visit was to raise the profile of what Sightsavers are doing in partnership with both the Department for International Development and local partners on the ground.  Also to promote the inclusion of youngsters with sight loss in schooling - so many of them are excluded completely - with both government ministers and the wider community.
We were able to see for ourselves just what tremendous work is going on on the ground.  The inclusion of not only blind but blind/deaf children in a makeshift unit attached to a school, but also the incredible work of trying to prevent river blindness and trachoma - 70% of blindness in East Africa is preventable.
We visited a Masai village and learned of the very dramatic effects that simple interventions such as hand washing can have on the spread of trachoma and of the medical programme to eradicate trachoma which is being undertaken by Sightsavers International. 
We were able to talk to government ministers about developing sustainable and lasting solutions which would enable blind children to have a future, including visiting Kenyatta University where we met some very fortunate young people who were able to demonstrate to us just how ingenious students could be in using very litttle to achieve so much.
We intend to continue helping and supporting in any way we can and we would like you to join with us in making it possible to transform the lives of so many and continue to contribute to the development goals and the well being of those in Kenya who we know will use the resources wisely.

If you would like to know more about their work please visit www.sightsavers.org.

Thank you for your interest and generosity.

David and Margaret.