DURBAN – Eighty children from Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal will receive free prescription spectacles in a joint initiative by St John’s Eye Clinic and Ster-Kinekor.
Thus far 80 visually impaired schoolchildren from Pietermaritzburg who are unable to afford eye care have been identified as recipients.
The spectacles will be handed over to them on Friday at Hillcrest during the World Optometry week which is from March 21–25.
Since 2018, the eye clinic at local government Northdale Hospital has been experiencing a critical backlog with their ability to dispense spectacles – such is the demand for eye care from people unable to afford private options.
The children were flagged by the organisation 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 in helping with Northdale’s backlog.
“It was heartbreaking to think that 80 children who should be wearing glasses would be starting the new school year without them,” said Geraldine Engelman, head of CSI transformation and wellness for Ster-Kinekor.
“Of course, we wanted to get involved.
“Responding to situations such as these is exactly why our Vision Mission project came into being.”
The children are already in the Northdale system, have had their eyes tested, and have scripts for new glasses.
St John’s, Pietermaritzburg has made bespoke spectacles for each one of them, with thanks to the generosity of Ster-Kinekor, will be gifted free to the children.
The hand-over event will be attended by leading community optometry specialists.
St John’s, the oldest NPO in the world, has an eye care clinic in Pietermaritzburg’s Selgro Centre and at 129 KE Masinga Rd/ Old Fort Rd in Durban.
Daily News