By Alyssa Harrison
The hall was packed and buzzing with excitement as around fifty students gathered one afternoon on Ikhala’s Queenstown campus. One of the students eagerly waiting in line was Tabisa Ntamo.
She was about to go through a series of eye screening tests, after which she would be able to pick out her own pair of glasses. These would then be delivered directly to her after six weeks. This on-campus screening is part of an initiative called the Umbono project.
The Umbono project was officially launched at the end of 2022 by the Small Projects Foundation. Its vision was to provide eye screening services and treatment to school children in the Eastern Cape. It has since expanded to universities, with the Queenstown campus being the first to host this initiative.
The Small Project Foundation joined forces with KeReady, an organisation dedicated to making healthcare more accessible, relevant and judgement-free. KeReady has forty-six mobile clinics across the four provinces, providing healthcare services such as health screening, tests, family planning, immunisations and treatment. They have since done five outreach projects together with the Small Project Foundation for the Umbono project, namely in Mbizana, Komani, Sterkspruit, Maletswai, and Butterworth.
Learners await their turn to be examined by KeReady doctors and Umbono optometrists in Mbizana.
Last year, they reached more than 200 schools, distributing spectacles to 4500 learners.
Before finding out about the Umbono project, Ntamo struggled at university. She always had to be the first to arrive at her lectures. She had to ensure that she was seated at the front of her class so that she could see the board. When working on her laptop, she enlarged the size of the font and increased the brightness so that she could see her screen more clearly.
A year later, Ntamo attests that this project has greatly impacted her life:
“Now after receiving my glasses, I can see things clearly. I don’t need to squeeze or squint my eyes to be able to see words. It has changed my life. It’s like owning a new pair of eyes.”
Tabisa Ntamo attending one of her lectures at Queenstown campus with her new glasses.
8% of students in the Eastern Cape – roughly 150 000 – need spectacles. Many are unable to afford them or the required eye tests. Access to eyecare services in the Eastern Cape is limited.
“We pay considerable money to buy glasses,” Ntamo emphasises. “We pay thousands. That comes from a background where our parents can’t afford to pay for them, it was a privilege for us to be helped by this programme.”
While there is a great demand for eyecare services, it is often overlooked, posing a significant barrier for students with vision difficulties. The Umbono project has taken great strides in bridging this gap, with its clear ‘vision’ for a future where all children have equal opportunity to learn.
The post A New Vision – By Alyssa Harrison appeared first on The Home Of Great South African News.
The hall was packed and buzzing with excitement as around fifty students gathered one afternoon on Ikhala’s Queenstown campus. One of the students eagerly waiting in line was Tabisa Ntamo.
The post A New Vision – By Alyssa Harrison appeared first on The Home Of Great South African News. Read More
