Eye tests and glasses campaign for students in Entre Ríos

As part of the cooperation agreement in Bolivia between Eyes of the world and the Autonomous Municipal Government of Entre Ríos (Tarija), an eye examination campaign was carried out for 79 pupils (46 girls and 33 boys) from schools in the communities of Salinas, Potrerillos, Timboy, Ñaurenda and Bourdeth O’Connor.

The campaign was made possible thanks to the commitment of the teachers, who had previously been trained by Eyes of the world to carry out visual acuity tests. This training enabled them to conduct screenings in the classrooms to identify students with visual impairments and refer them for further specialist assessment by ophthalmic teams working in coordination with the schools.

The teams consisted of an ophthalmologist and an optometrist, who carried out the eye tests and took the measurements for the prescription glasses. Each student was able to choose their preferred frames and will soon receive their new glasses to correct refractive errors and improve their visual health and academic performance.

As part of the initiative, the eye health promoters from Entre Ríos, trained by Eyes of the world, organised awareness-raising sessions aimed at families to highlight the importance of looking after one’s eyesight. They also promoted messages relating to gender equality and environmental protection, which are cross-cutting themes in the organisation’s work.

This campaign forms part of the roll-out of the School Eye Health Plan, which was drawn up through a participatory process involving teachers, pupils and families, with technical support from Eyes of the world and the backing of the local council.

This project by Eyes of Bolivia is funded by Repsol Bolivia and the Repsol Foundation.