At one of the ZSP Stage I schools, Mitchell Heights, we are running a pilot program with the Jonga Trust to screen the eyesight of all of the learners at the school.
The Jonga Trust is a non-profit NGO that screens and manages eye health for disadvantaged people in South Africa. Two of its aims are to provide eye health care services to all and the provision of cost effective visual correction.
At Mitchell Heights, the Community Eye Care workers screened 951 learners. The aim was to identify learners who had visual problems. The learners who were found to have problems were then referred for further testing. The Jonga Optometrist visited the school over several days to perform refraction testing. (see the picture above).
I think that this is truly a way of making sure that technology is not just supplied to schools but also looking at how to make it workable. A well fed child and a child with means to good eyesight is making sure that the resources take on more meaning. I have looked at the website and think that this organization is really doing brilliant work. I know it is a pilot but I can already see how many lives it can change in improving literacy in our disadvantage communities.
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