The gift of
80 children recieved the gift of vision
World Optometry Week was celebrated in style recently, with 80 children with compromised vision who are unable to afford eye care, each receiving a free pair of prescription spectacles, thanks to the collaborative efforts of the Order of St John and Ster-Kinekor. The 80 children were on a waiting list at Northdale Hospital.
Since 2018, the eye clinic at Northdale Hospital has been experiencing a critical backlog in dispensing spectacles – such is the demand for eye care from people unable to afford private healthcare. 80 children in particular have been flagged as needing glasses, but remained on the waiting list.
St John’s Eye Clinic in Pietermaritzburg, on hearing about Northdale’s predicament, appealed to Ster-Kinekor’s proactive Vision Mission CSI project requesting their help. Without hesitation, the team from Vision Mission came on board to support St John.
Sanchia Jogessar, an optometrist at St. John Eye Care Clinic, who retested the children’s eyes and made bespoke spectacles for each one, said it was heartbreaking for the children to be without glasses.
“It was heartbreaking to think that 80 children, who should be wearing glasses, would be starting the new school year without them,” said Jogessar.
Geraldine Engelman, head of CSI Transformation and Wellness for Ster-Kinekor said they were excited to assist the children. “Of course we wanted to get involved. Responding to situations such as these is exactly why our Vision Mission project came into being,” said Engelman.
Okuhle Mthembu was thankful and excited about his new pair of glasses. “This is life changing; you have no idea. Now, today, for the first time ever, I can see properly. I just keep wanting to take my spectacles on and off to compare the difference. Seeing everything so clearly is absolutely magnificent,” said Okuhle.
Okuhle was one of the 30 children who were treated to a free movie at Ster-Kinekor, Watercrest Mall, to test drive their new spectacles. For most of the children, it was their first time outside Pietermaritzburg, first time wearing and owning spectacles and their first time seeing a film on a big screen.
Attending the handover, were leading community optometry specialists Pirindha Govender-Poonsamy, from Global Ophthalmic Institute, Yurisa Naidoo from the professional Board of Optometry and Dispensing Opticians, Prof. Percy Mashige from UKZN Optometry and Prof. Kovin Naidoo from community eye care specialists, Essilor.