Our Work : Eye Care Projects

EMAT is an Aberdeen-based charity which has been working in Pakistan for over a decade, primarily in the prevention & treatment of eye disease.

Free Eye Care

Since 2000 EMAT has provided the funding for an annual Eye camp that runs for 1 week, working in partnership with the Eye Ibrahim Hospital in Karachi, which provides the medical expertise and travelling doctors, and various Non Government Organisations who are the local organisers within the area.

Over the last 10 years:

• 10,000 people have been tested for eye conditions.
• 4,000 people have been successfully treated for cataracts.
• EMAT has achieved a low cost of £10 per person for a cataract operation.

Eye Hospital

In view of the evident success of the temporary annual eye camp, in 2006 EMAT agreed to help fund and build a permanent eye hospital.

Building work commenced in 2007, and the shell was completed in late 2009 at a cost of £100,000. The target date for completion and ground floor fit-out is winter 2011, subject to raising final funding.

Emergency & Disaster Relief

2005 Pakistan Earthquake

Although the earthquake epicentre was a full day’s drive from the Mian family homelands, EMAT was able to obtain seven heavy trucks which they fully loaded with blankets and provisions and drove to the earthquake zone. All infrastructure and facilities had been destroyed, so the trucks were formed into a circle to establish a base, and the aid was distributed under the personal supervision of Mian Akbar Ali and other family members.

2010 Pakistan Floods

EMAT recognise the problems in providing aid to the flood affected population, and believe that with our skills, knowledge and contacts in the region it can help to provide essential foodstuffs to the most needy families. So far, more than 1,600 people are believed to have been killed by the floods in Pakistan. In total, roughly 20 million people are thought to have been affected. These floods have destroyed the lives of thousands of families, washing away entire villages and leaving millions of survivors suffering with little food or shelter. With roads and bridges damaged the challenges faced are considerable.

We have set a target to raise £100,000, which we will use to purchase a pack of essential foodstuffs sufficient to feed a family of five for a fortnight. We have costed each food pack at £10 and so hope to distribute 10,000 packs. We believe we have the local knowledge and contacts to purchase and distribute these food packs cost effectively to the weakest and least able families.

Two Mian family members will fly to Pakistan on 22 September 2010 to personally manage the aid operation with the assistance of family and trusted friends who live near the flood affected areas. It is our pledge that every £ donated will go towards the purchase of the food, with all other costs being borne by the family.

our sponsors

A special thankyou to all of the businesses which have helped make our 2010 Flood Appeal possible.

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Established 1999 : Scottish Charity SC 029505
4 Middleton Path, Bridge of Don, Aberdeen AB22 8LW
T: 07590 712031/712030 E: info@emat.org.uk