Four students at Technological University (TU Dublin) will be heading to KolKata, India next month to deliver vital eye testing and eye care services.
The students, Abby Gorman, Oisin Casey, Omima Mukassabi, and Izzy Healy all third year students at TUDublin,will be heading to India on November, Saturday 26 accompanied by their lecturer, Dr Catriona Barrett.
The four aged from 19 to 21 years, are all studying Optometry, with Abby focusing on Optical Dispensing. They will spend a week working at an eye clinic set up at Kolkota Hospital where they will carry out eye health screening tests, eye tests and fit locals partaking of the programme with glasses.
“We are volunteering with Hope and gratefully sponsored by Specsavers to go to Kolkata and carry out eye exams to provide the people of Kolkata with much-needed eye care,” said Omima.
“Unfortunately, in Kolkata the leading cause of blindness is not having a pair of glasses; many people in this area have never even had an eye exam!
“So, our aim is to provide as many individuals with their own pair of glasses as well as an eye exam which includes checking the health of the eye.”
Furthermore, the team hope to gift the eye care facility of Kolkata a Tonometer (a machine used to test eye pressure).
Omima added: “This would advance their eye clinics and aid in helping detect eye conditions earlier, and we need the support of Gazette readers to fund this piece of equipment.”
As such, the students have established a GoFundMe page, which will run for another month. While they have nearly reached their target of €2,500 towards the trip, they would welcome all donations to purchase and donate a Tonometer.
“The more funding we achieve, the more testing and eye care the locals receive in India!!!” noted Omima.
The Hope Foundation is dedicated to promoting the protection of street connected and slum dwelling communities in Kolkata, some of the most underprivileged in India.
HOPE works to effect immediate and lasting change in their lives and to date, it has helped over 2.8m people, by extending support to children and their communities via a vast number of on-the-ground projects.
“Please, please donate if you can, however small or large, it will be put to immediate good use. Donations please to https://www.gofundme.com/f/suppprt-kolkata-eyecare-facility” concluded Abby, Oisin, Omima, Izzy and Catriona.
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