The donations policy of Lions Club Maastricht Mondial is based upon the maxim of “making a difference”. With the exception of a few Lions International projects (e.g. the Tsunami of 2005, where Lions worldwide donated US$ 6 million) we carefully select the projects we support to make sure that the money is well spent and really does “make a difference”.

Some current projects supported are

Sisters of Mercy Ear Hospitals, Ethiopia. Two clinics treating sufferers of endemic ear conditions in Ethiopia run by a former Professor of Ear Nose & Throat Surgery and a fellow surgeon from the Netherlands, who devote several months a year of their own time to train local doctors and nurses. This is a long-term LCMM project which since 2002 has benefited from more than €25,000 in support from Lions Club Maastricht Mondial in collaboration with the Netherlands government Cordaid organisation. LCMM and Cordaid are this project’s only sources of funds.

Cedric Paulussen foundation. A project by the University Hospital of Maastricht to develop and build a mobile paediatric intensive care unit to transport critically ill or injured children. Lions Club Maastricht Mondial donated the first €10,000 to seed a foundation to raise funds for this €350,000 project. In the meantime the first unit has been delivered and 7 more are now being built for the other university hospitals in the Netherlands.

St Vincentius Foundation, Maastricht,

€2000 to fund food for people in need, including Christmas hampers.

Swing for disabled children at AZM Maastricht

€4000 bought a special swing for disabled children at the University Hospital in Maastricht,

Stichting Impulse

A “home for the homeless” in Maastricht needed a kitchenette on the third floor so that

residents could prepare meals or simply make a cup of coffee. LCMM donated €5000 to fund the purchase and work to install the kitchenette and a coffee machine.

Day out for ‘Duchenes Syndrome’ kids from the ‘Franciscusoord’ in Houthem

These boys suffer from a rare form of muscular dystrophy and are bound to wheelchairs with special breathing equipment. Getting them out is a challenge. In 2006, LCMM arranged a specially equipped bus and took them for a day out to the Burgers Zoo in Arnhem. Apart from the costs of €3000, members and nurses devoted a day’s free time to go with them.

Stichting Lobstar

A foundation to help children suffering from cancer. These children and their families undergo huge stress. In 2008, LCMM is planning a donation of €2500 to pay for a holiday for a child and his or her family at a special resort.

And a little can go a long way too...

Cataract operations in South Africa

The Lions Club in Worcester, South Africa, arranges ophthalmic surgery to treat very common cataract conditions amongst the poor. Local surgeons provide their time free of charge, so it costs merely US$110 to save a person’s sight. But the need is huge. LCMM donated US$1100 to finance 10 operations in 2006 and is planning to do the same again in 2008.

Ecology and English summer camp in Kazakhstan. A three-week summer camp in Kazakhstan in cooperation with the US Peace Corps for 30-40 students between 6 and 17 years of age where they learn English and address ecological issues, a major problem in highly polluted Kazakhstan. Lions Club Maastricht Mondial has funded this camp with €750 a year since 2003. An example of where a little money can achieve a great deal.

DVD player for the ‘Franciscusoord’ centre for disabled children. Again, a little can do a lot. The children’s video recorder had “played its last tape” and a replacement was needed. €299 bought them a DVD home cinema system. In 2007 we followed with a PC and an Internet connection to give them more access to the outside world.

Kindervakantiewerk Hulsberg

€700 to pay for the bus to take a group of deprived children on a holiday.

Hospital in Cambodia. The staff of this hospital modernized a ward in their own time. €600 from LCMM bought the materials they needed.

Project Cool Kids, Aachen. A project to provide facilities and therapy for youngsters with behavioural disorders in Aachen, LCMM donated €500 to this project, where most of the “work” is done by volunteers.