Glasses dispensed for children at blind school

Last year, a number of children at the Ekwendeni Blind School were taken to the nearest main town (Mzuzu) to have their sight measured. They received prescriptons for glasses but none could afford to have them made. And, unfortunately, none of the second-hand glasses sent out to the nearby mission clinic were capable of dealing with the extreme visual impairment suffered by these children. Consequently, a list of the names and prescriptions were later emailed to Focus on Malawi in Colchester. The optometry department at Essex County Hospital agreed to make the required glasses at cost price to Focus on Malawi. The picture shows Dr Annette Grounds, with a box of the finished glasses. They will be taken to the children by Sue Kevan, who is visiting Malawi in April. Thank you Annette!

Goggle Works: 222 pairs of glasses measured!

On 15 April, twelve people gathered for (probably) the first-ever glasses measuring party on the planet! A few focimeter experts were in attendance to train the others and quite soon everyone was measuring and labelling. But it wasn't all hard work: we watched footage of life in Malawi, and work at the Ekwendeni and Livingstonia eye clinics, fortified by exotic nibbles, with wine and coffee. At the end of the evening, 222 pairs of glasses had been measured and labelled. Thanks to everyone who came and to Caroline and family for hosting.