Mission to Malawi

During a recent two-week project in southern Malawi, six Vision Aid Overseas volunteers carried out 1,420 eye examinations and supplied 1,265 pairs of spectacles to people in some of the poorest drought-affected areas of the country.

The main requirements were for reading glasses and correction for myopes, and the team gave further training in refraction to a local ophthalmic medical officer.

Two Braille-using students were fitted with sight-giving spectacles. George (pictured), had congenital cataracts removed when he was two years old.

Daniel lost one eye in an accident and then injured the other, causing a traumatic cataract, which was removed, but his spectacles were in a poor condition and his prescription was inadequate. Both can now read large-print and will no longer need to rely on sighted friends to read textbooks to them.

VAO also plans to update a workshop it originally set up in 1997.