Vision Aid Overseas
The Problem - Shortage of Spectacles in Developing Countries
In developing countries many people with poor eyesight do not have access to opticians, eye tests and spectacles. It is estimated that more than 300 million people suffer hardship simply because they do not have a pair of spectacles that would enable them to lead a normal life. The root cause of this situation is poverty and a lack of health services including optician support. For people with poor vision in the developing countries, education and employment can be inaccessible. Life can be difficult and even dangerous.
Rotary Solution - Support 'Vision Aid Overseas'
Rotary supports the work of Vision Aid Overseas, a charity dedicated to helping people with poor eyesight in developing countries. Established in 1985 the charity asks people in the UK to donate unwanted spectacles which are then graded and repaired before being shipped overseas where they are dispensed to the needy. Volunteer optometrists and dispensing opticians travel overseas to perform eye tests to ensure that the spectacles are correctly dispensed. The procedures are outlined below.
People give unwanted spectacles to local collection centres (opticians, chemists etc).
DX Network Services collects the spectacles and delivers them to VAO.
VAO sorts the spectacles, scrapping any that are unsuitable.
Prisoners clean, grade and pack the spectacles.
Spectacles are shipped overseas.
Spectacles are finally dispensed to the needy at special clinics after eye tests are carried out.
Some of the countries supported by Vision Aid Overseas are Burkina Faso , Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Malawi Sierra Leone, Uganda and Zambia.
Rotary Clubs in the UK assist in this work by collecting unwanted spectacles. The spectacles are delivered to opticians practices from where they are collected by DX Network Services, a specialist optical delivery provider.
Contributions from Rotary Club of Upper Eden
From 2003 to 2019 The Rotary Club of Upper Eden acted as a collection centre for unwanted spectacles. Periodically we deliver them to an optometrist in Penrith where they are checked before collection by DX for delivery to Vision Aid Overseas. If you are in the Kirkby Stephen area and you have unwanted spectacles please contact us and we will arrange collection.
| Year | Contribution | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 August | 50 pairs dispatched | 1109 |
| 2018 October | 23 pairs dispatched | 1059 |
| 2017 July | 30 pairs dispatched | 1036 |
| 2017 April | 38 pairs dispatched | 1006 |
| 2016 November | 36 pairs dispatched | 968 |
| 2016 March | 50 pairs dispatched | 932 |
| 2015 March | 47 pairs dispatched | 882 |
| 2014 October | 20 pairs dispatched | 835 |
| 2014 September | 15 pairs dispatched | 815 |
| 2014 June | 17 pairs dispatched | 800 |
| 2013 October | 32 pairs dispatched | 783 |
| 2013 July | 18 pairs dispatched | 751 |
| 2013 February | 44 pairs dispatched | 733 |
| 2012 April | 24 pairs dispatched | 689 |
| 2011 November | 31 pairs dispatched | 665 |
| 2011 August | 83 pairs dispatched | 634 |
| 2011 June | 37 pairs dispatched | 551 |
| 2010 July | 85 pairs dispatched | v514 |
| 2010 February | 37 pairs dispatched | 429 |
| 2009 | 158 pairs dispatched | 392 |
| 2003-2008 | 234 pairs dispatched | 234 |