The Rotary Club of Colombo D3220 (Sri Lanka), The Rotary Club of Millpoint D9465 (Australia) and RAWCS (Rotary Australia World Community Service) partnered with Global Hands Charity in a humanitarian service project to provide three thousand pairs of individually graded spectacles to low income earners at three separate eye care camps conducted in Katana, Maskeliya and Matara in Sri Lanka. The eye camps were conducted over a period of 7 days from 6th – 12th January 2016.
Spectacles were dispensed to little children and adults, and beneficiaries included Buddhist monks and policemen in uniform who turned up to be tested. Many people were identified with impaired vision and provided corrective glasses. Some members who could not be provided with suitable glasses were provided prescriptions and Global hands Charity and individual team members and Rotarians personally paid for the glasses to be purchased from local optometrists who provided same at a discounted price.
Regina Lau the Perth based Project Manager for Global Hands Charity said “It has been a humbling exercise, to say the least….., We have discovered many people who were walking with terrible eye sight , because they simply could not afford an eye check, let alone a pair of spectacles. We hope to return to Sri Lanka in the next 12 months due to an overwhelming response from the public.”
The Rotary Club of Colombo wishes to especially thank Mr Bala Murugiah of Keleneiya and Braemar Estate and the students and staff of the Tea Leaf Vision Center for Professional Development in Maskeliya, and Rev Herath and members of the Rotary Club of Matara for the assistance rendered in coordinating local arrangements.
The total value of glasses distributed has a value of over Rs 7.5 million.
