SINCE 2018, the eye clinic at Northdale Hospital in Pietermaritzburg, which is run by the local government, has had a serious backlog in dispensing spectacles, owing to the high demand for eye treatment among those who cannot afford private solutions. A total of 80 youngsters have been identified as needing glasses.
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When St John’s Eye Clinic in Pietermaritzburg learned of Northdale’s plight, they contacted Ster-proactive Kinekor’s Vision Mission CSI project and requested assistance. The team from Vision Mission jumped on board without hesitation to assist St John.
”It was distressing to think that 80 students who should have been wearing glasses would be starting the new school year without them,” said Geraldine Engelman, head of Ster-Kinekor’s CSI Transformation and Wellness.
”Of course, we wanted to participate. Our Vision Mission project was born out of a desire to respond to situations like these,” she added
The kids are already enrolled in Northdale, have had their eyes tested, and have prescriptions for new glasses. St John, Pietermaritzburg, has built spectacles for each of them, which was given to the youngsters for free thanks to the kindness of Ster-Kinekor. During World Optometry Week, which ran from March 21 to 25, the spectacles were handed over to them.
At the handover young Hlumile Jaca said, ”I am so grateful to receive my glasses and I can see better.”
Ster-Kinekor also gave the children a free movie to test out their new glasses. They got a sneak peek at the brand new family film, Turning Red, which is Pixar’s landmark coming-of-age drama about a Chinese-Canadian middle-schooler stuck between her parents’ stringent expectations and her increasing sense of independence and selfhood, before it hit theatres.
In the name of #LoveYourEyes, the multi-award-winning program helped enable healthcare providers to examine more than 358 521 disadvantaged students, with nearly 30% of them receiving follow-up optometric testing. A total of 15 827 people have received spectacles.
Customers of Ster-Kinekor are invited to add R2.50 or more to their movie ticket purchases to support the Vision Mission CSI project.
”We are ecstatic to be able to assist,” Engelman said. ”Collaborating with St John to help Northdale Hospital meet the extraordinary demand for eyecare is a brilliant option. The kids’ new glasses will help them perform better in school, improve their quality of life, and, of course, enjoy movies more,” said Engelman.
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