Members of the Rotary Club of York Ainsty have returned from a visit to Senegal where they provided spectacles to over 1,000 visually impaired people. The club supports SpecSort, a charity which collects, cleans and measures unwanted spectacles so that they can be reused by people in poor countries who have no other source of help.
Rotarian and Optometrist, Ruth Perrott explains: “The onset of presbyopia – the need for reading glasses – happens at around the age of 30 years in equatorial Africa, compared with 45 years in the UK. Consequently, many people are unable to see very well from that age onwards and as there is no social security, it means if they cannot see, they cannot work. So there is tremendous demand for spectacles.”
Clinics were set up in the town of Oussouye where people’s vision was measured using a letter chart and a binocular refraction was taken. People then visited a dispensing area to collect their new spectacles and enjoy an improved quality of vision and life.
At some centres the team was stretched to the limit with the busiest clinic seeing 150 people in just five hours. Ruth said: “It was one of the best SpecSort trips yet. I hold Senegal very close to my heart – especially the people, their need and their kindness.”
If you are interested in collecting spectacles for this project, please contact the Rotary Club of York Ainsty.
