LEARNERS from Assegai Primary School have a new perspective of life after the African Eye Institute (AEI) brought free eye care to the school. Through their programme, “One School at a Time” (OSaaT), the institute provided free eye exams and related services. 

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Nad Ramsarup, who heads the programme at AEI, said that the initiative’s main goal is to deliver essential eye care to children in communities that struggle to access it.

“Our core focus is to take eye health services directly to underserved communities. Many families face significant barriers when it comes to accessing eye care. These may include the cost of transport to public hospitals and clinics, long waiting periods for appointments or simply having to prioritise daily living expenses such as food over eye health,” said Ramsarup. 

Helping children everywhere see

To address these barriers, AEI launched the OSaaT programme in 2021. Ramsarup said that since its start, they have examined over 166 000 children. They have also distributed more than 21 000 pairs of glasses and referred about 5000 children to public eye care centres for further treatment. All services provided through the programme are free and are made possible through support from CooperVision, Optometry Giving Sight, the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation and Berkeley Vision.

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Assegai Primary School had proactively reached out to AEI, requesting their learners be included in the programme.

“We currently have a long waiting list of schools across South Africa that would like to participate in the programme. As additional funding becomes available, we continue to expand our reach and bring these life-changing services to more children who might otherwise go without the eye care they need,” he said.

Giving everyone a chance for equal education

Ramsarup said that the programme was born from the observation that children cannot learn well if they cannot see clearly. “Several studies have shown that as much as 80% of learning in the classroom takes place through the sense of vision. If a child cannot clearly see the teacher, the chalkboard, a textbook, or learning materials, their ability to learn, participate and reach their full potential is significantly affected,” he said. 

Undiagnosed eye care can lead to children being unfairly seen as poor performers or inattentive, when the real issue might just be that they cannot see properly. By taking eye care directly into schools, AEI hopes to catch these problems early and offer help before they impact a child’s education and overall development.

The school expressed its appreciation for being included as it benefited several children.

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