Made possible from funding from the Standard Chartered Bank “Seeing is Believing” programme, the project aims to deliver eye care services to 1 million people in KwaZulu-Natal by the year 2010. The service delivery model acts as a blueprint for the successful integration of eye care services into district health systems throughout South Africa.
Success Stories
In less than ten years ICEE has worked with more than 40 countries to develop sustainable eye care systems.
Today in South Africa, the Giving Sight to Africa project in collaboration with the Department of Health KZN aims to provide eye care and affordable glasses to 1 million people in just one province by 2010.
Chantal (11yrs), came to an ICEE clinic in 2007. Because of her poor vision she had difficulty at school and playing with friends in the playground.
In the classroom, Chantal was moved from the back of the class to front. “I couldn’t see the board, I couldn’t see what I was doing and what was in front of me. I couldn’t see when I was writing and all my work was squashed up,” Chantal said.
Her mother remembers, “Her writing wasn’t too good. Instead of writing on top of the line, she would write below the line and she’d squeeze all her worlds together so you couldn’t understand what she was writing. That’s why I took further steps to find out what’s wrong. At first it was very worrying about her left eye but the right eye is not too bad.”
Thanks to an eye examination and a pair of glasses to correct her myopia (short or near sightedness) she can now actively participate in school and safely enjoy activities with her friends.
Like so many who attend ICEE clinics in South Africa, Chantal had never had an eye examination or pair of glasses.
Giving Sight to one million in South Africa (10 October 2007)
Durban, South Arica, 11 October 2007: KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) has learned why ‘Seeing is truly Believing’ at the launch of a project to improve the vision of one million people in the province by 2010. A USD1.28 million (approximately R9 million) sponsorship by Standard Chartered Bank to Giving Sight to Africa in KZN, was announced at the launch by the MEC for Health, Ms Neliswa Nkonyeni at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Ethekwini on World Sight Day. > read more
“You have no idea of the struggles that the kids go through and how poor some children are – how they just need a company like ICEE to give them a chance to be better by giving them glasses so that they can see in school… so that they can have a better education.” – ICEE Vision Screener, Thandeka
