Vision Aid Overseas

670 million people - 10% of the world's population - are disadvantaged by poor vision and a lack of glasses. Vision Aid Overseas collects and refurbishes spectacles for use in third-world Countries. This enables kids and adults to have vision again to attend school, to work and to support their families.

The Club has been collecting spectacles for many years. Since about 2000, the Rotary Clubs of Belfast and North Down have been working closely together collecting spectacles - the North Down Club having developed a very attractive and effective collecting box.

The Rotary Centenary Spectacles Project with Vision Aid Overseas

In March 2009 District 1160 launched the Centenary Spectacles Project, the aim being to bring the number collected to 100,000 by the end of the 100th year of Rotary in Ireland. Since the launch many of the 76 Clubs in District 1160 have either made contact for information or have sent spectacles directly to us.

The Rotary Club of Belfast is delighted to announce end June 2011 that the target has been reached even before the start of our Centenary Year!

However, spectacles will contine to be collected by the Club for this very special project. After a preliminary sort locally, spectacles are packed to be transported to Vision Aid Overseas by Hayes D.X.Network Services, a mail and logistics company. This company transports, for manufacturers, spectacles to optometrist’s prescriptions and delivers completed spectacles to optometrists throughout Ireland. It now also collects the old spectacles for us on their rounds. This transport is provided free through the generosity of the company.

The collected glasses are transported to prisons throughout the UK where prisoners have been trained to clean, grade and pack the glasses ready for their use in the developing world. Finally the glasses are sent abroad with Vision Aid Overseas teams. Glasses are only dispensed after a full eye examination and great care is taken to match them to the patient.

The Rotary Club of Belfast has increased the scope of collections by speaking to primary and preparatory schools and also by providing speakers for a number of church organisations. The Club is grateful to the Council Recycling Centres in Belfast and Castlereagh where we have access to their special "Wheelie Bins " for spectacles. We have been well received over the years by the Council workers.

Recently Natalie Briggs, Chief Executive, Vision Aid Overseas spoke to the Club and thanked the Club for its contribution.

She is pictured here with (from left) VP Alan Rundle, President Brian, Dick Thornton and David Brennan.

The Club is very grateful to all those people who have so generously given of their time to donate, collect, or process spectacles for Vision Aid Overseas.

Vision Aid Teams

Vision Aid regularly send out teams of optometrists to provide training to local optometry students and then to take them on outreach trips. In January 2012 PE Alan Rundle went to Ghana as part of one of these teams. During their 14 day trip the team provided screening for over 800 individuals, prescribing spectacles when appropriate, and referring to the local eye hospital any conditions that required further intervention.

He states: “It was the most remarkable fortnight. Very challenging, but also very rewarding. It was a great opportunity to work with a group of very talented young optometrists and also to meet some wonderful people in their local environment.”

More on this visit with pictures can be seen here.