Students complete Zambia placement

Optometry students Ciara Hankin and Janaka Sasitharan (pictured) recently completed a placement in Zambia with Vision Aid Overseas (VAO) as part of the Irvine Aitchison Memorial Fund bursary scheme – set up by one of the founders of Dollond & Aitchison, Irvine Aitchison.

Working alongside qualified optometrists, the pair spent time providing outreach services in rural communities, including training nurses and dispensing glasses to patients.

‘Working with VAO has been a wonderful experience. My project lasted two weeks, with 10 days working in different villages across Zambia, and it was a great opportunity to share skills in a completely new and different environment, to people who need it most,’ said Sasitharan.