Seeds of Change: New People, New Programmes, New Hope
New Sight News — June 2026
Dear Friends and Partners,
This season has been one of growth: we have welcomed new team members, launched new training programmes, and discovered new opportunities to improve health in our community.
This Season in Numbers (Jan-May)
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- 🏥 2314 consultations
- 🏫 1075 students and teachers screened
- 👨🎓 41 community health trainees
- 🌱 26 farmers trained
- 📚 29,797 children’s magazines distributed
Every update is another chapter in our shared mission: investing in people today to build healthier communities for tomorrow. Thank you for being part of that story!
Welcome New Team Members: Dr. Osée, Adèle, and Family
The arrival of Dr. Osée Nkengurutse and his wife Adèle, together with their two young sons, has been nothing short of an answer to prayer. After waiting many years for long-term team members like them, their presence over the past few months has already been an enormous blessing and an important investment in New Sight’s future.
Dr. Osée, a family medicine physician, previously served as President of the Burundi Christian Medical and Dental Association (CMDA) before relocating to Congo, and he continues to serve as International CMDA’s Regional Representative for Eastern Francophone Africa. With a deep commitment to humanitarian service, he has spent years caring for underserved communities.
Adèle, who previously taught women digital and IT skills, brings invaluable administrative expertise, supporting our staff and patients with grace, kindness, and efficiency.
Their two delightful boys, Carwyn and Mathis, aged two and one, have also become a treasured part of the New Sight family, bringing laughter, energy, and joy to our community.
Building for Tomorrow: Healthcare and Research
We would like to celebrate the contributions of the team members who have strengthened our work this season.
- Chronic Care: Dr. Osée now leads our growing work in chronic care, focusing on hypertension and diabetes—major causes of preventable vision loss. With remote support from Drs. Mei and Arden in the US, who visited us last year, he is developing a dedicated chronic disease clinic while also helping us prepare for the future establishment of a nursing school. If you have experience in nursing education and would be interested in serving with us, we would love to hear from you!
- Safer Surgery: During her three-month visit, optometrist Marion Kemboi helped improve our surgical safety checklists and clinical documentation, strengthening the quality and consistency of patient care.
- Pharmacy Innovation: Volunteer Aidan Cheng developed a pharmacy management app which, together with Olivia Chan’s procurement support, is revolutionising the way we manage medicines and supplies—demonstrating how skills from around the world can have a lasting impact, even in our remote rainforest setting.
- Research & Data: Visiting volunteer David Menna assisted with screening campaigns and helped with data analyses, turning thousands of data points into evidence that will shape future programmes. His contribution reminds us that everyone has something to offer—even behind-the-scenes skills create lasting impact on patient care.
Looking Beyond Vision: Caring for the Whole Child
Last year we launched our Child Health Programme with a large-scale school screening campaign — the first of its kind in our region — with the support of the Directors of Health and Education. Invitations were extended to all sixth-year students in 21 of 30 primary schools in town, and to date we have reached 890 students and 185 teachers.
The findings were both helpful and sobering:
- More than half of the students had eye problems needing further assessment.
- One in four had untreated dental caries.
- Almost half required medical follow-up for other health concerns.
- More than half of the teachers had elevated blood pressure, with some needing urgent treatment.
These screenings have given us a clear picture of the urgent health needs in our community. To respond, we need more hands on our team and more resources to sustain this work. If you feel called to join us—or to support financially—you will be helping us care for the whole child and build healthier communities for the future.
Additionally, our Children’s Magazine continues to be a beacon of joy. In the first half of this year, we distributed issues 14 and 15 across the region, totalling over 29,000 copies and sparking curiosity and hope in thousands of young minds.
Good Things Come in Threes: New Training Courses Launched
Sustainable change begins with people. This season, we celebrated growth in three key areas strengthening both our team and the communities we serve.
- Community: Under Dr. Osée’s leadership, we launched our Community Health Courses and completed four successful cohorts. These sessions equipped forty-one participants with practical health knowledge, built trust with neighbours, and helped identify future team members who share our vision.
- Technical: Six staff completed the first phase of Air Conditioning Maintenance training with visiting volunteer engineer Tom Tobias. In the humid rainforest climate, reliable cooling is essential for preserving medicine and protecting equipment.
- Green: In March, we hosted the Farming God’s Way course led by visiting volunteers Tom Brane, Rev. John Combest, and Masra Dorkaré. Twenty-six participants explored sustainable practices to improve harvests, strengthen family nutrition, and build healthier communities. We have already celebrated our first harvest!
Joyce Named One of the “300 Faces” of Edinburgh Medical School
During her recent UK tour from March to May, our co-founder Joyce received the wonderful honour of being recognised as one of the “300 Faces of 300 Years of Edinburgh Medical School” — reflecting her journey from medical student to global health advocate.
Joyce also spoke at hospitals, universities, the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, the International Centre for Eye Health, and churches across the UK, sharing how faith, perseverance, and partnership can make the seemingly impossible possible.
These opportunities not only raised awareness of the work in Congo but also opened doors to new friendships, collaborations, and partnerships that will strengthen New Sight’s mission in the years ahead.
You can hear more of Joyce’s story in her UK Christian radio interviews, such as with UCB1’s Talking Point and more on our Mentions webpage. We’d love you to listen, be encouraged, and share them with others who may be inspired by what God is doing through New Sight.
Patient Story: Lysette
We will never forget Lysette. Once bright and top of her class, an eye injury took not just her sight, but her confidence, her joy, and her future. By the time she reached us, she came hidden beneath a hoodie. She had learned not to hope.
But after surgery, everything began to change. Little by little, she lifted her head. She smiled. She laughed. It was like watching a butterfly emerge. Today, Lysette is dreaming again—of going back to school, and one day helping others. This is the power of rekindled hope.
Watch her journey through Joyce’s video update here.
Regional Health Update: Ebola
Thank you for your care following news of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC, Congo-Kinshasa).
We know the similarity in country names can cause confusion. To clarify, our work is in the Republic of Congo (Congo-Brazzaville), around 3,500 km from the outbreak. There are currently no reported cases here, and our team remains safe.
From our experience in 2014, we know the importance of preparing early. So, we are taking the situation seriously and reinforcing training, hygiene, and safety protocols while monitoring guidance from WHO and regional health authorities.
Our thoughts and prayers remain with the health workers and communities in the DRC and Uganda.
For our full statement, visit: https://www.newsightcongo.com/ebola-in-drc/
Image source: WHO; credit: Henrik Pettersson (CNN)
Save the Date: Turning 15 Next Year!
New Sight will turn 15 next year! Save the date for our Gala Celebration on 23 October 2027 in Hong Kong as we look back with gratitude and forward with hope. We’d love to celebrate with you!
Plant a Seed of Change
Everything you have read in this newsletter has been made possible because of people like you who choose to partner with us.
Could you plant a seed with us?
- 🙏 Pray for our patients, our team, and for more long-term workers to join the mission.
- 🛠️ Serve by using your professional or practical skills—from healthcare and education to administration, engineering, maintenance, construction, or IT.
- 🎁 Give to help us care for patients, train local leaders, and build sustainable healthcare for the future.
- 📢 Share our story with your church, workplace, or friends, or follow and share our updates at @newsightcongo.
Thank you for standing with us! Together, we can turn seeds into sight, health, and hope.
With deep gratitude,
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Joyce, Henri, and the New Sight Team
