Abrehet is an ambitious woman with a love for helping people. These two traits have resulted in her pursuing a profession in the health services – Abrehet works as a maternity nurse in a general hospital.
In order to correctly dispense medicine, Abrehet relies heavily on her sight. Without it, she cannot read the labelling on the bottles and cannot precisely give the women she attends to what they need.
Therefore it was a huge problem when, two years ago, Abrehet’s vision started to fail. “In the last six months in particular, it’s been almost impossible for me to do my work. I cannot read patient records and I cannot read medicine labels. I also can’t see the patients’ veins – so it is difficult for me to give intravenous injections.”
“At home, I really struggle to do any household chores. My life is not going well since my vision started to fade,” she added.
A mother of four, Abrehet also used to help her children with their school-work. “Now, this has stopped,” she said. “I can’t see what is written down, so how can I help my children?” she asked.
After visiting the optometry department at the Asmara School of Health Sciences, Abrehet was examined by a student in the department and diagnosed with refractive error. She was given a pair of glasses from the optical workshop lab that had already been processed by the students as part of their cut and fit training.
“I am so happy and so excited,” said Abrehet. “Now, I will be able to work again – to do the job that I love! I will be able to dispense medicine and read the patient records! I’ll be able to do all the things that a nurse is required to do! Thank you so much!”
Abrehet was so impressed with the service and the treatment she received that she is now going to encourage all her colleagues to visit the optometry department to get their eyes tested. “For us, our vision is vital for our jobs and for our patients. Regular check-ups are therefore necessary. I will make sure to tell my co-workers to come here to get those tests done,” she said.
“Thank you so much for the help! You have changed my life,” said Abrehet.
The Developing Optometry Services program in Eritrea is a partnership between the Brien Holden Vision Institute, Asmara College of Health Sciences and the Eritrean Ministry of Health with funding support from Optometry Giving Sight.
To date 38 students have graduated as Optometry Technicians and are being deployed in Vision Centres across the country to provide refractive error services to the Eritrean population. Each year around 20 new students enrol in the program.
The EyeTeach© workshops continue to prove a success since launching in Latin America in 2013. The workshops, implemented by Brien Holden Vision Institute and sponsored by Optometry Giving Sight, focus on the development of local optometry in the region and strengthening the professional development of existing eye health practitioners and educators.
Sheila is one of the first female optometrists who graduated from the School of Optometry in Makerere University, Uganda. She graduated in January 2019 and completed her 6-month internship.
Alejandra has been on a journey of discovery and one that resulted in a beautiful transformation of her young life.
Nimesha, like many young teenage girls, loves school, chatting with her friends and spending time with her family. She has many ideas for what she wants to do when she graduates High School – on the top of the list: Medical School. Unfortunately, unlike other children her age, Nimesha noticed her eyesight deteriorating two years ago and her quality of life also quickly began to deteriorate.
Maadia is an eleven-year-old girl who has been experiencing poor vision for just over two years. Although she spoke to her parents about her failing sight, they were unable to help her due to their financial situation.
“My new glasses make me feel so happy,” said Trung, a nine-year-old boy from the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau in Vietnam. Trung tells his story of the daily struggles he experienced for several years due to his poor vision.
“I hoped that I would grow out of it soon,” Trung said. “But now I know that I don’t have to wait anymore. With my new glasses I can see everything very well and so school will be great. Before, I couldn’t see the lesson board even though everyone else could,” he said.
Lyhour is a 14-year-old from Phnom Penh in Cambodia who attended a school screening program that visited his high school. The program was funded by Optometry Giving Sight and supported by the Brien Holden Foundation.
In providing capacity building in eye health screening, training has been conducted for 25 teachers from 15 schools in Phnom Penh, as well as for 10 staff members at the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MoEYS) School Health Department. Eye screening programs are developing in three schools. This will enable trained staff to be aware of eye problems and recognize them in students, teachers and staff. They now have the capacity to be involved in screening activities and refer students to appropriate services.
12-year-old Omar Faruk was very excited about his new pair of glasses, which have not only enabled him to see the blackboard clearly, but also improved his batting skills on the cricket field! Omar’s life changed dramatically following an eye examination at the vision screening camp organized by the India Vision Institute (IVI), with support from Optometry Giving Sight, at his government-run school in his locality.