Optometry Giving Sight

Since 2006, a team of Australian Optometrists have been travelling to the not so small but unheard of island of Sumba in West Timor, screening, dispensing spectacles and to several thousand Sumbanese, thanks to support from Optometry Giving Sight.

Sumba has between 500 to 600,000 inhabitants mainly scattered throughout remote villages. It used to be known as the Sandalwood Island but sadly there is none left and in general Sumba is poor agricultural land and as such the people are, in the main, extremely poor and in many places malnourished. A relatively high percentage of the population suffer from malaria and infantile death is high.
The team was recently invited back to Sumba. Peter Lewis tells the story of this visit.

“Much of our work involves the provision of simple reading or close work spectacles - imagine not being able to sew to make a dress to then trade for food. Imagine not being able to see the blackboard at school?” he said. “Family members who are blind through any reason are a drain on that family’s food resources and are considered less than productive members of that group.”
“Every trip we experience life changing events and our last to Sumba in July 2011 was no exception,” he added.

“During the week Paediatric Optometrist Norm Russo was examining a six year old girl named Kristian and found her to refract to around -12. We were able to give her some -9.00 D specs that we had, and we have since forwarded back to her ‘correct Rx’.”

“At the same time, Peter Stewart was examining the little girl’s father, Lukas Deta, and he refracted to around -18.00D! We dispensed some -10 D spectacles that we had brought with us. If not rewarding enough, the next day two young men, the uncles of this little girl arrived and they refracted to around -18.00 D as well! We were able to provide them with -13 and -14.00D spectacles. These people had NEVER had spectacles before and the joy in their face and smiles was overwhelming to us all.”

“These experiences demonstrate implicitly why we do what we do to help these people and the ongoing need for everyone to enthusiastically support the work of Optometry Giving Sight, who fund our trips,” he said.

The team is now endeavouring to select and train suitable Sumbanese to work as optical professionals and to set up an Optical Clinic in a building operated by the Sumba Foundation in Waikabubak, which is vital to sustaining the program into the future.

Photo: Kristian gives her new glasses the thumbs up, courtesy of Peter Lewis