Eye exams seek to improve life for rural kids

NUCSOARA, Romania — Sometimes, one simple test can change a life.

Dozens of Romanian children had their eyes examined for the first time in a remote area of the southern Carpathian Mountains.

The humanitarian organization Casa Buna, or Good House, arranged the eye tests in Nucsoara, which comprises several villages. Routine eye exams are recommended from early infancy, but many children in the impoverished rural community had never been screened by an ophthalmologist.

“Given that out of 30 children tested, 20 needed glasses, I think such ophthalmic caravans are needed in as many villages in the country as possible,” said Mioara Marinescu, the volunteer ophthalmologist at Saturday’s event.

The importance of testing children’s eyes is not limited to needing corrective lenses. Amblyopia, the condition known as “lazy eye,” is estimated to affect 1% to 5% of children worldwide, and missed cases can lead to longterm problems.

While examining children, Marinescu found three with amblyopia, a disorder she says can “limit access to certain professions in adulthood.”

Valeriu Nicolae, who founded Casa Buna in 2007, comes from a poor Roma community himself. Poor eyesight can have a serious, negative impact on children’s educational outcomes, he said.

“Teachers think the kids hate to read, but in fact, they hate to read because they cannot read because their eyesight is poor,” Nicolae said. “Kids who cannot read because their eyes are really bad are useless in the educational process. They get fed up and they drop out.”

The volunteer organization supports more than 300 children and their families, putting a strong emphasis on encouraging the children to pursue education.

Casa Buna arrived in Nucsoara, 120 miles northwest of the capital Bucharest, more than a year ago. Volunteers visit every two weeks, bringing aid to 94 children and their families.

Romania, which has a population of more than 19 million, has the highest percentage of children at risk of poverty and social exclusion in the entire 27nation European Union — 35.8% compared to an EUwide average of 22.5%, according to statistics agency Eurostat.

Child poverty is most prevalent in the country’s rural communities, where 1 in 2 children lives in poverty.

Vadim Ghirda / Associated Press A boy undergoes an eyesight examination performed by volunteer ophthalmologists, in Nucsoara, Romania. Many rural children have never been screened by an ophthalmologist.