Louis Stone donated a range of glasses and ophthalmic equipment to Cardiff University’s optometry department for trips to Ghana and Malawi in July.
Over two weeks, students collaborated with the University of Cape Coast to perform non-profit sight tests to over 1000 patients, including school screenings and visiting rural villages.
Students also participated in a research project on glaucoma, and its prevalence in the Ghanian population led by the post-graduate team.
The team further observed different surgical operations to understand patient care post-referral, with donations going towards cataract surgery funding.
In Malawi, students provided sight tests for more than 150 people, experienced a low vision masterclass and taught registrars reflection.
The team also observed different surgeries and saw a significant number of pathologies they hadn’t seen before.
One student said: ‘Over the four and a half days, we grew in confidence within ourselves, and with each other. By the end, we were asking for each other’s opinions and talking about what we had seen, what we thought, and why.'
