New eye vision for Precious

When I first came to Kenya to work in Precious Vision, a school in the slums of Mombasa, I thought being there and teaching the children was the ultimate way to help. During the time I was there, GVI got in contact with an optician - Vijay Optica - in Mombasa town that offered to test all the children - around 120 - in Precious for free.

Precious Vision children heading to the optician, Vijay Optica, to be tested

Words cannot describe how amazing it was to be part of that experience!

GVI volunteer, Aoife,  with Madame Jane, headteacher of Precious

I helped the optician, Alex, to organise those children who had perfect sight, those who needed eye drops for diseases like conjunctivitis and also those children who needed glasses.

Alex, the optician, talking to one of the Standard 5 girls at Precious

The children were all so good and no tears! It started with Kindergarten 1 all the way up to Standard 5. The younger children had fewer problems than the older children, as diseases in the eyes of the older ones were prolonged and had been untreated for longer. Some of the children went back to the optician for further testing and amazingly only six children out of the whole school need glasses!

There are plenty that need drops administered for a number of weeks and despite the discomfort they do not complain.

 Aoife, administering eye drops to Standard 2 at Precious Vision

Mustafa from Standard 1 doing his own eye drops

It was a great day when the children got their glasses. They were shown by Tess, the project manager, how to put them on correctly and talked through the rules of caring for glasses. They all had massive smiles! 

Madame Jane, with the 6 Precious children and their new glasses

The improvement with their sight was instant. Even their classmates shared their excitement.

Aoife, August 2010

New eye vision for Precious