Specsavers Ennis optometrist Riya Rose Mathew travelled to Kolkata, India, last month with The Hope Foundation Ireland to provide crucial eye care at the Hope Hospital Eye Clinic and in local communities.
Mathew joined a team of Specsavers volunteers during the week-long trip to provide eye checks for 3,120 patients, dispense more than 2,203 spectacles and refer patients with more serious conditions to the hospital.
‘I'm so grateful for the opportunity to return to Kolkata with The Hope Foundation this year. Their work alongside street communities is truly transformative, changing lives for the better,’ she said. ‘It was a privilege to witness the impact of our support, especially the gift of sight we helped provide to hundreds. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who made this possible.’
Two optometry students from Technological University Dublin, Eva O’Mahoney and Liam Schokman also joined the trip, coordinated through Specsavers' academic partnership with TU Dublin.
This year, the multiple raised more than €200,000 for the Hope Foundation, which was presented to founder Maureen Forest, to sustain the Kolkata eye care clinic. More than half a million euro has been donated by Specsavers since it began supporting the charity in 2017.
