Sikkim: Motorcycle Club organises Eye Camp

Gangtok, April 12, 2013

Around 250 students were scrutinized and 29 children and senior citizens were required to use power spectacles during a free eye testing camp organized recently by Dirty Angels Motorcycle Club (DAMC) at Government Secondary School, Tingvong, a remote village located in Upper Dzongu in North Sikkim.

Interestingly, the eye testing camp was named “I See You” organized by DAMC on the 66th anniversary of World Health Day, the first of its kind held in a remote village. Five professionals from Jamgon Kongtrul Eye Centre in Kalimpong and one eye technician from Mangan Government Hospital were brought for the camp.

Apart from eye testing, DAMC also distributed wearable clothes, donated by the people and stationery including pencils, geometry boxes, erasers and eatable items like biscuits and chocolates to all the students.

“Humanity shal previal when human take care of humans and Mother Nature. So we are not only biking club but we are also an NGO and act like bridge between government and people and has been helping under privileged society of the state in the past,” president of DAMC, Tshering Wongchuk Lepcha said.

He informed that the clothes for distribution were collected during a rock concert held at MG Marg in Gangtok, where they had kept big boxes for people to donate clothes.

“Last year we went to a village in Yuksam after ‘Rock On’ beat contest and had done the same job there. We will be organizing some charity programmes in future to help people,” he added.

At the eye camp, two partients Tashi Dehndup Lepcha (75), male, and Salaen Lepcha (82), female, were detected with cataract.

The operation on the duo’s eyes, Lepcha informed would be performed later by the senior surgeon of Jamgon Kongtrul Eye Centre in Kalimpong in coordination with Panchayat and DAMC.

Seventeen youths with 13 Enfield motorbikes along with one truck full of clothes and stationery items drove all the way from Gangtok to Dzongu covering about 110 km to make this event successs.

Eight other members couldn’t attend the event due to their personal problems. DAMC was formed in 2010 and have 25 members.

“They all (DAMC) were my friends so they came here for a good cause and I provided them all the logistic support in village. We usually have health camp in village but this is the first of its kind where some NGO came in this remote village and organized three events together including free eye testing camp, distributed clothes, stationery and sweets for students,” Panchayat secretary of Tingvong village, Tshering Rapzor Lepcha shared.

Happy with the gesture, the Panchayat secretary expressed his wish to invite them again in future.

(Courtesy: Sikkim Express)