Fourteen-year-old Grace Asempah and her mother, Mercy, live in the small town of Kasoa in the Central Region of Ghana. Grace attends St. Mary’s School in the same town.
Grace used to struggle in school every day. Her teachers became concerned with her poor academic performance, and, after learning of Grace’s failing grades, even Mercy began to think that her daughter was unintelligent. She considered pulling Grace out of school so she could learn a trade instead. Little did she know that Grace was actually having trouble in school because she couldn’t see to read her assignments.
Thankfully, an outreach team from Watborg Eye Services conducted an eye screening program at St. Mary’s School. Through an eye examination, they discovered that Grace had uncorrected refractive error. Simply put, she needed eyeglasses.
Grace admitted that she was having difficulty seeing the backboard and that she would sometimes ask friends to read for her before she could complete her assignments. Mercy was relieved to hear that her daughter’s academic performance could be improved after all; she just needed a pair of eyeglasses to correct her vision.
Thanks to Operation Eyesight’s donors, Grace received a pair of brand new, custom-fitted prescription eyeglasses. Now, rather than struggle to read her assignments, Grace is busy making up for her past grades. She continues to go to school and has a bright future ahead of her!
This holiday season, you can team up at the office or as a family to sponsor a school eye screening for $250. School screenings help to ensure that eye conditions are caught and treated as early as possible. And for just $20, you can provide students with prescription eyeglasses. These gits are a wonderful investment in the future of Arica and India! Visit our Gift Guide to learn more.