Optometry Giving Sight

Peter Lewis from Lewis and McConnell in Victoria, Australia, has volunteered with the ProVision Optometry Teams nine times over the last few years, mainly in East Timor.  In September this year, he returned to Sumba for the fourth time.  Two young brothers had heard about the optometrists and had travelled for 40 minutes on poor roads on a motorbike taxi (with three of them squeezed on!) to Waikabubak Sumba Hospital.  Their family paid 20,000 RP (AU$2) each for the journey – about a day’s income.

When Susanto, aged 14, was examined, they discovered he was R -7.50 (essentially he could see clearly up to 12cms away from him in his right eye and just 9cm in his left eye).  His 10 year old brother, Rivaldo, could see even less, with a prescription of R -8.00 (he couldn’t see clearly more than 9 or 10cm away).  When the team discovered that the boys had a third brother who could not see well, they asked for him to also visit the clinic.  When 13 year old Victor arrived, the optometrists discovered he had the best vision of the three brothers – but still he could only see clearly 20cm (-5D) in front of him. The brothers were all functionally blind and had spent their childhood living in a dense fog.  They hadn’t been able to see at school, play football with their classmates and everyday tasks were a huge challenge.  Incredibly, three pairs of glasses completely transformed three young lives.  As the optometrists placed their new glasses on their faces, the boys’ world opened up.  Their eyes lit up as they saw the other side of the room clearly for the first time.   

Stories like this send a shiver up your spine.  Suddenly these three brothers’ futures look brighter.  They will be able to see what their teacher is writing on the chalkboard and as they leave school and begin their working life, their choices will be so much greater.  Instead of being dependent on others, they will be able to provide for themselves and their families.

Just $5 can provide an eye exam and a pair of glasses for people like Susanto and his brothers.