Our goal for GivingTuesday 2015 was to raise $10,000 so we could screen 7,000 students in Narok, Kenya for eye health issues. Thanks to our amazing donors, we surpassed our fundraising goal! And even better: we were able to screen nearly 20,000 students in Narok!

Narok is a vast county in Kenya’s Great Rift Valley about 120 kilometres from the capital city of Nairobi. It’s a dry region, home to more than 850,000 people, many of whom are the nomadic Maasai people. In Kenya, far distances, high prices, and a lack of eye care workers and ophthalmic equipment make it difficult for people to access eye care. We’re bringing eye care to children in these hard-to-reach places.

Traditionally, we’ve worked with our partner hospitals’ community eye health workers to conduct eye screenings in target areas. However, because there are so few community health workers in Narok, we had to get creative! Our team soon realized the untapped potential of teachers.

In 2014, in partnership with Kenya’s Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health, 53 teachers were trained to conduct eye exams, screen students for general eye health issues and raise awareness about the importance of eye health. They were also equipped with the tools needed to screen students and keep student eye health records.

Thanks to our GivingTuesday 2015 donors, these teachers were able to utilize their training and resources to conduct eye screenings at local schools. Children identified with eye health problems were then seen by an eye health expert, and those with minor eye issues were treated. Students who needed prescription eyeglasses or had more serious eye issues were referred to our local partner hospital, Narok District Hospital.

Our innovative approach of using trained teachers rather than community health workers led to cost savings. This means that we were able to stretch our donors’ contributions even further than we initially thought!

Our goal was to conduct eye screenings at 14 schools, and in the end, we were able to reach more than 40 schools in total! Each school received a health talk that focused on cleanliness and sanitation (hand- and face-washing are important steps in preventing the spread of blinding trachoma!), and students were provided with eye health information to take home and share with their parents or guardians.

In total, 19,986 students were screened and educated about eye health. Of those 527 students were treated for various eye health-related conditions, such as allergies, bacterial conjunctivitis and vitamin A deficiency. Three students received sight-restoring cataract surgery, and 25 students received new, custom-fitted prescription eyeglasses.

Thanks to our donors, hundreds of children can see! They’re now able to read, learn and prepare for their futures. In addition, schools now have the capacity to identify children with eye conditions and refer them for proper care.

Even better, thousands of students – and their families – now understand the importance of eye health and good hygiene. Not only are we restoring sight, but we’re also preventing others from going blind. With dedicated donors by our side, we CAN eliminate avoidable blindness! Thank you!

The post GivingTuesday 2015: Final report appeared first on Operation Eyesight.

As I’m sure you know, good eyesight is important for living a happy and healthy life. It’s especially important for young students, as about 80 percent of learning is visual. But sadly, not all children enjoy the gift of sight.

In India alone, it’s estimated that at least 300,000 children have severe visual impairment. Only five percent of blind boys and 2.5 percent of blind girls go to school, and the majority of these children end up quitting their studies at an early stage, losing their chances for future opportunity.

Over one-third of childhood blindness is due to refractive error, or the need for eyeglasses. These children are living with low vision unnecessarily. They don’t get to learn in school or play with their friends. Yet all they need is a simple but life-changing pair of prescription eyeglasses.

Our partner St. Gregorios Balagram Eye Hospital  is working diligently to eliminate avoidable childhood blindness in Yacharam, India. The hospital recently started a school eye screening program, thanks to the support of Operation Eyesight’s generous donors. This screening program is being conducted as part of a larger Hospital Based Community Eye Health Project, which we’ve implemented in collaboration with the hospital.

Last summer, we conducted a school screening program in 10 schools, where 20 teachers received training on how to identify eye problems in their students and 922 children were screened for vision problems. As a result, 20 students were referred to the hospital for further treatment and 17 students were given a pair of new, custom-fitted prescription eyeglasses.

Thanks to Operation Eyesight’s donors, these children can now see to read their textbooks or take notes from the chalkboard. They can continue their studies and do all the little things children should be able to enjoy. Thank you for helping us ensure kids stay in school and continue to learn!

You can help us screen more children for vision problems. Click here to “adopt a community” and support our school eye screening programs in India and Africa. This is a great gift option for a family or group of coworkers looking to make a larger contribution. Thank you for your support, and happy new year!

The post Here’s to a happy and healthy year for all! appeared first on Operation Eyesight.