According to Cliff Hocking, the Sector Coordinator for Southern Africa (South Africa, Namibia, Swaziland, Botswana, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Angola), the Lions Sightfirst Programme has, over the past 14 years, contributed in excess of US$ 726 000 to a variety of eyecare projects in South Africa. “It is now time to refill the coffers to ensure the continued fight against blindness” he says.
The target for South Africa is to raise US$ 225 000 by the middle of 2008. This will be achieved through Lions Clubs undertaking specific fund raising projects dedicated to Campaign Sightfirst ll and individual donations to the programme as well as corporate donations.
In 1925 Helen Keller, speaking at an International Convention of Lions Clubs, challenged the Lions to become knights of the blind in the crusade against blindness. This challenge is still relevant today in that the world’s population is growing rapidly and is aging. New patterns of eye disease worldwide have given rise to new threats to sight. World population is expected to grow from 6 to 8 billion by 2020, and the number of those 45 years of age and over will double to 2 billion.
If no new action is taken, experts predict that these factors could lead the world’s blind population to double to 74 million and those with low vision to double to nearly 250 million by 2020. | 
