Sen. Pam Roach, R-rural Auburn, traveled to Honduras on a goodwill effort to take vision care to poverty stricken areas of the country that have limited access to medical care.
On May 28, two days after Roach’s return, a powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck off the coastline of Honduras killing three and injuring 40.
“It is shocking news,” Roach said. “Just days ago we were serving with the people of Jutiapa, which is on the very shoreline where the earthquake hit. My thoughts and prayers are with all the families and communities that were affected.”
In addition to her legislative duties, Roach is the founder of La Escuela de Esperanza (School of Hope), which provides help to teachers, educational material and humanitarian relief for the people of Honduras. She has made several trips to Honduras to take supplies and provide medical relief for the communities there.
Roach hosted a group of optometrists from Washington state who volunteered their time and expertise to take glasses and vision care to three poverty-stricken areas.
This is Roach’s eighth trip to Honduras, but it is the first time both Rep. Dan Roach and the Senator have made the trip together. Sen. Roach’s 8-year-old grandson, Ethan, also participated.
“It was a great opportunity to truly make a difference in these communities. The most basic care has a dramatic impact on the lives of the people.” said Rep. Roach. “It was also an amazing experience for my son Ethan to see the conditions that exist in the second poorest country in the Caribbean.”
“It was very rewarding to work alongside my son, Dan, and grandson, Ethan,” Pam Roach said. “Dan served as a translator and I am incredibly proud of the part he played.”
Pam Roach invited VOSH, Volunteer Optometrists Serving Humanity, to join her and Rep. Roach in the goodwill effort. Dr. Christopher Barry, an optometrist practicing in Bellevue, led the VOSH effort and was hosted by Roach’s La Escuela de Esperanza (School of Hope). Organized in 1971, the primary mission of VOSH is to provide vision care for people worldwide.
During their stay, the group of 15, including four optometrists, ran three vision-care clinics along the northern shoreline of Honduras. VOSH/International, working with Lions Clubs, took 4,000 pair of eyeglasses along with them
“I was very excited to host this great group of optometrists,” Pam Roach said. “They have traveled to many other parts of the world already, including Vietnam and Malawi, and were able to hit the ground running once we reached Honduras. The team worked 10-hour days.”
“The people of Honduras live in a climate that takes a toll on their vision. Intense sun for 12 hours a day increases the risk of cataracts. In fact, 1 out of 10 of the people we saw had cataracts,” she added. “We have identified the people with cataracts by name and by village. Now we need to finish the work.”
Pam Roach’s next effort is to lead a group of opthamologists back to Honduras to remove the cataracts.
More than 800 people were seen during the stay, including an orphanage of 25 children, local school children and the elderly who walked down from the mountains when they heard they might have their vision cured.
“It was very sad to turn away people with cataracts. They can only hope for a return visit,” Pam Roach said. “This area is so remote that otherwise they are left to a life of unnecessary blindness.”
The first clinic was located in Descombros. This is the same location Pam Roach delivered a container full of medical supplies back in 2007. Many of the patients suffered from conditions that are easily preventable by eye protection, but lack of knowledge and resources makes prevention difficult.
Dr. Chris Barry, who led the VOSH optometrists characterized the communities that were served.
“This is the poorest place I have ever been.” Dr. Barry said. “A small amount of care can have such an enormous impact on the people’s lives.”
The second clinic, in Belaire, is very familiar to Pam Roach. She has spent previous trips working with the children there. The community named the two room schoolhouse after her because of her work to raise resources for the children.
The group conducted its final effort in Jutiapa at the clinic of local doctor Dr. Noa Guardado.
“We could not have been as successful as we were without local support that has been developed over the years,” Pam Roach said. “Before I got there, my team went to work notifying the people that we were coming, setting up the clinics and then provided meals for us during our stay.”
VOSH doctors saw an entire orphanage of 25 children, many local school children and others who traveled from remote mountain areas to receive vision care.
“All our goals were met,” Pam Roach said. “None of this could have happened without such a superb local volunteer network. This is my eighth trip to Honduras and it is very rewarding to focus on a small area of the world where we can have a real impact. I am anxious to go back and build on the groundwork that was put in place during this trip.
“Honduras is very pro-American, but it is also very poor. Every time I go, I see efforts from the The Peace Core, Habitat for Humanity, church mission groups, and many others.” Roach said. “These are our neighbors and it is our responsibility to help our neighbors. This is happening in Honduras; mostly through the goodwill of the American people.”
Pam Roach’s previous efforts in Honduras were to support the children and schools by bringing resources and teaching English classes. She also raises donations of clothes, medical equipment, and other essentials to provide to the poorest areas of the country.
Roach’s trip to Honduras was also a part of her ongoing effort to provide Washington students with the opportunity to learn Spanish and Chinese at the elementary level.
Those interested in helping can donate to the School of Hope at P.O. Box 682, Auburn, WA 98071. All contributions are tax deductible.
For more information, contact Sen. Pam Roach at 360-786-7660 or via e-mail at Roach.pam@leg.wa.gov.
