A nonprofit organization, Community Advance Initiative for Self Reliance (CAI4SR) has held a free eyecare outreach in Osogbo, Osun State to commemorate the 2021 World Sight Day.
CAI4SR organised the outreach with the support from Essilor Social Impact (ESI) in collaboration with Rave FM and KIITAN Foundation as part of moves to promote health and better eye sight.
About 200 indigent residents of the state received free eye treatment, enjoyed free medical treatment and got free eye glasses and drugs.
During the outreach which took place within RAVE FM premises at Agunbelewo area, an optometrist and other health workers conducted eye test and general vital body checks on the beneficiaries.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Sogo Musibau Abdulkareem and Afolabi Victoria said the glasses they were using before were not okay anymore and expressed gratitude to the organizers of the outreach for the gesture.
Abdulkareem said, “I have eye challenge. I heard about this free eye treatment outreach and I decided to come for it. The glasses I was using before was no more okay. I underwent test here and I was given new glasses. I’m grateful to the organizers.”
Also, Afolabi said, “I’m a retiree. I cannot afford to pay for new eyeglasses when the one I was using had gone very bad. So, when I heard about this outreach, I knew God had answered my prayers. Now, I have just got new pair of glasses and I can see very well now. With this, I will be able to read my Bible easily. I appreciate the organizers of the outreach”.
The Programme Coordinator for CAI4SR, Eni Ayeni, said the outreach was in commemoration of World Sight Day with the theme “Love Your Eyes”.
Ayeni said many poor people were suffering from eye challenges and could not get treatment because of their inability for pay for the treatment or buy eye glasses.
The Programme Manager for Rave FM Foundation, Femi Olanipekun lamented that eye care is not on the priority list of the government, noting that the ratio of eye doctors to patients in the country is one of the lowest and urged government to make eyecare accessible for people.
The Programme Manager for KIITAN Foundation, Hellen Adenine Adedokun, said the outreach was aimed at bringing healthcare closer to the people who could not afford to pay for their treatment.
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