Seva Canada is celebrating the 25th anniversary of one of its key implementing partners in Africa, the Kilimanjaro Centre for Community Ophthalmology (KCCO). KCCO was founded in 2001 by Drs. Paul Courtright and Susan Lewallen to implement local programs to reduce avoidable blindness in sub-Saharan Africa.
Over the past 25 years, KCCO has helped ministries of health and eye departments plan and deliver eye health programs that connect with and serve local communities. Patients come when they trust the care and the people providing it. Because children and women often face the greatest barriers to eye care, KCCO has also long played a leading role in Africa in finding ways to reach them.
KCCO’s main office is based at the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC) in Tanzania, with programs operating in seven countries across sub-Saharan Africa. Through its partner hospitals since 2001, KCCO’s work has contributed to more than 1.9 million people in Africa receiving eye care services, including nearly 160,000 sight-restoring cataract surgeries. At its core, this work is about restoring not only sight, but dignity, independence, and opportunity for individuals and their families.
KCCO was established with the early support of Seva Canada donors, whose commitment helped lay the foundation for this long-standing partnership. As KCCO marks its 25th anniversary, this milestone is a celebration of partnership and impact. With the support of Seva Canada, KCCO has partnered with dozens of local eye health departments and hospitals since 2001, and hundreds of eye health professionals have benefited from mentorship and training. These alumni are spread out over sub-Saharan Africa, further amplifying the impact of KCCO from national health ministries to remote communities.
For Seva Canada donors, this anniversary is also yours. Twenty-five years ago, a small group of committed people had a vision. Today, hundreds of trained professionals are carrying that vision forward across sub-Saharan Africa, and more people can see because of it. That is what your support made possible.
