Well, this marks the last post from the OneSight Kokstad South Africa Clinic Team and all we can say, is that this was THE MOST amazing experience. We apologize ahead of time - but are writing this on a hand-held, so there will not be any pics - only HUGE thanks to all involved.
Our last day of Clinic was Thursday. Our doors were only open until 1PM because we had to pack up 60,000+ pair of glasses and all our equipment on a bus heading 2.5 hours away to Mtubatuba for the next SA Clinic team arriving in two weeks! (Be sure to check out their blog as well!). During the last day, we saw 600+ people.
That evening, we had a lovely dinner - a "Bry" put on by our local hosts which was lovely and a pinning ceremony where each Clinic team member spoke about another and gave them a limited edition OneSight South Africa pin. It was a very special moment, especially when Oralio, a team member from SA got up and thanked us on behalf of his entire country as only he could have done.
Friday, we headed to Durban and have been here ever since bidding a fond farewell to groups of colleagues along the way. The first group to leave were the folks from South Africa including Odette, Wedaad, Oralio and Tshepo. They were an amazing addition to our team, eager to share the local culture and traditions as well as millions of smiles and heaps of laughter.
On Satruday, we bid farewell to the folks down under (Todd, Alice, Lisa, Helen and Forum), across Europe (Michaela, Martina, Marta, Claudia, Elena and Bekki) and members of our Leadership Team (Paul, Rob, Karen, Jimmy and Mike). In the midst of the farewell, a group again boarded another bus to head out on another safari. This one was AMAZING with elephants, zebra, giraffe etc. literally coming right up to the car. The best part was the lodge at the top o fthe mountain in the center of the game park where we ate lunch, gazed at the view and enjoyed hte company of three zebra who came right up to the ledge of the veranda.
Very early this AM, we said goodbye to another beloved team member, Carol from Brazil. But, we look forward to hearing more from her during the upcoming Clinic in Brazil in September!
The final group of us head back home to North America this afternoon. While everyone on the team is so very much looking forward to reuniting with our loved ones back home. We are so appreciative to OneSight, Luxottica and all those who supported us and made this possible. We can not leave the blog without a TREMENDOUS thanks to David Berumen, our Clinic manager. He is simply brilliant at his job - proceeding with a calm and gracious disposition that makes him a born leader. Our utmost thanks David, to a job so well done that kept us safe, motivated and passionate for the job we were put here to do.
All the best to everyone.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
The Final Day...
As a team, we can’t believe that today is the last day of our Colinic in Kokstad. It has been such a surreal experience being here at Oprah’s school. The school is back in session this week, so we’re enjoying being around all her adorable students and, of course helping the thousands of locals in need!
Marta Vicceli, Todd Palmer and Mike Smith were hard at work all day in dispense!
Elena Savi spent her day dispensing eye drops to each and every patient at the first Clinic station, dilation.
One of our Clinic leaders, Rob Fontaine helped dispense sunnies (as our friends in AUS call them!) in between trips around the Clinic to make sure each station was running smoothly.
Now we know whether or not all patients have any depth perception thanks, in part to Bret Kartak who spent the day at this third Clinic station.
Martina Mescniari was busy in auto refraction getting the first read on each and every patient!
Dr. Angela White used a special piece of head gear with a light to more easily look into her patient’s eyes and make sure she had the most accurate prescription possible.
Dr. Cort White spent today – and every day – doing eye health and script checks for our patients.
Thanks so much to everyone who has been following our adventure and posting comments. We’ll have one more post this weekend to share a few group shots so please stay tuned for one final farewell.
As we mentioned a few days ago, we've had our local media team on site throughout the week to capture our adventure. Check out the "rough cut!" http://luxtube.beluxonline.com/?ID=583
We realized we haven’t shown any pics of the Clinic set-up itself, so here’s a look:
All patients line up in a tent to the right of the gate and filter through as called. They then get dilated (eye drops) in the middle of the patio. Once the dilation sets (about 20 mins) then are sent over to Visual Acuity (E chart), which is set up by the small tin building on the right-hand side of this pic. From there, they wait to go into color blindness, depth perception and autorefraction, which are all located in the brick building behind Visual Acuity. From there, they visit the doctors (you can’t see their rooms from the pic) and then wait outside the open door (upper middle of the pic) to receive their glasses in dispense. Inside that open door sits our Inventory Management System, a computer database, which holds the entire Clinic inventory. “Pickers” then find the glasses out of approximately 80,000 frames. If there isn’t an exact match, the script is sent upstairs in this room to “Chabella Heaven” where “Pauly (Craven)” and his “Angels” create the perfect pair.
Since we need to pack-up the entire Clinic this afternoon to send on to SA #2 in Mtubatuba in two weeks, we cut the day short, seeing only 500. As such, there are fewer stories to post. One great one came from Dr. Forum Patel. Today, he gave this musician and elementary school teacher back the greatest gift of all - his site! He was a very strong script and could only afford glasses for distance, not readers. We were able to give him a more accurate script for distance and a great pair of readers which will help him better help his students. Great work!
We realized we haven’t shown any pics of the Clinic set-up itself, so here’s a look:
All patients line up in a tent to the right of the gate and filter through as called. They then get dilated (eye drops) in the middle of the patio. Once the dilation sets (about 20 mins) then are sent over to Visual Acuity (E chart), which is set up by the small tin building on the right-hand side of this pic. From there, they wait to go into color blindness, depth perception and autorefraction, which are all located in the brick building behind Visual Acuity. From there, they visit the doctors (you can’t see their rooms from the pic) and then wait outside the open door (upper middle of the pic) to receive their glasses in dispense. Inside that open door sits our Inventory Management System, a computer database, which holds the entire Clinic inventory. “Pickers” then find the glasses out of approximately 80,000 frames. If there isn’t an exact match, the script is sent upstairs in this room to “Chabella Heaven” where “Pauly (Craven)” and his “Angels” create the perfect pair.Since we need to pack-up the entire Clinic this afternoon to send on to SA #2 in Mtubatuba in two weeks, we cut the day short, seeing only 500. As such, there are fewer stories to post. One great one came from Dr. Forum Patel. Today, he gave this musician and elementary school teacher back the greatest gift of all - his site! He was a very strong script and could only afford glasses for distance, not readers. We were able to give him a more accurate script for distance and a great pair of readers which will help him better help his students. Great work!
Marta Vicceli, Todd Palmer and Mike Smith were hard at work all day in dispense!
Elena Savi spent her day dispensing eye drops to each and every patient at the first Clinic station, dilation.
One of our Clinic leaders, Rob Fontaine helped dispense sunnies (as our friends in AUS call them!) in between trips around the Clinic to make sure each station was running smoothly.
Now we know whether or not all patients have any depth perception thanks, in part to Bret Kartak who spent the day at this third Clinic station.
Martina Mescniari was busy in auto refraction getting the first read on each and every patient!
Dr. Angela White used a special piece of head gear with a light to more easily look into her patient’s eyes and make sure she had the most accurate prescription possible.
Dr. Cort White spent today – and every day – doing eye health and script checks for our patients.
Thanks so much to everyone who has been following our adventure and posting comments. We’ll have one more post this weekend to share a few group shots so please stay tuned for one final farewell.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Huge Thanks from A Recipient
During the course of the day, we see so many patients. And, typically, once we give them their glasses, we rarely hear from them again. Today, our team received a very special gift. A patient from yesterday, 23-year-old Marlene came back to hand-deliver a letter of thanks:
To the team from OneSight –
Hi. I just want to say thank you for the wonderful and friendly service you have given to the Kokstad community. From my side, I want to say a big thank you. It has been a couple of years that I’ve been without glasses and due to that, I could not get a job. As such, I did not have the money to buy a pair of glasses as they are very expensive. Today, I went for an interview and I’m starting work tomorrow. I’m on a trial basis for two weeks. Thank you guys for making our lives easier. I also want to thank you on behalf of my sister Judy and my brother’s daughter Angeliqua. We have all had an ‘eye gene’ problem and it’s hard for us to get glasses which are 100% perfect. May God richly bless each and every one of you. A special thank you to Oprah for making everything possible. May God bless you. - Marlene
Marlene is pictured below with her fiancé whom she is marrying in November. The best part of this story is that as we were snapping her pic, Dr. Obker strolled by and recognized Marlene as the aunt of Angeliqua (mentioned above) who had left Clinic yesterday without her glasses! She required an -16 which we did not have in stock. We provided temporary chabellas and are “adopting” her which means we’ll make a pair at home and ship them back.
Gwen Silverberg helped this 70-year old woman see clearly for the first time in many years. Her script was -22 and Gwen was able to find this beautiful pair of black and white cat eyes, which were a nearly perfect match. The moment she could see was very bitter sweet – she was crying tears of joy for being able to see clearly for the first time in many years, but also crying tears of sadness for all those years lost.
4-year-old Sanelisiwe suffers from a cataract in one eye (rare for someone her age), which made it very tough to find the perfect pair for her. After trying three pairs, Bekki Fagan was able to dispense this perfect pair. Her mom also received a new pair of chabellas making mom and daughter able to see each other clearly for the first time in many years.
Jamie Hall first saw this four year old in Autorefracting and couldn’t believe the read she was getting – a -11/-8.5. She was so curious if this was correct that she followed her through to the doctor stations. Dr. Frank Valentino did her exam. Because we brought some extra equipment on this Clinic, including a Phoropter, he was able to get a perfect script. It turned out Jamie’s read was really close and she was so thrilled to dispense a perfect match to this little one. To make things better, the little girl’s mom and grandmother also received glasses – both were at a -9.
Abongile, 8, in first grade was born with sublexated lenses which (in laymans’s terms, means her lenses can’t focus clearly). As a result of her poor vision, she is one year behind in school. Doctor Alan Levy gave her +7 glasses, which helped her see more clearly to do better in school!
Young 13-year-old Qiqipho had never worn glasses before coming through our Clinic. When she saw the docs, they were amazed because this teenager needed a +10 in both eyes! This means she was not able to see near to even read a book in front of her! Luckily, Tom Precht and Mike Smith were in IMS today and were able to find a perfect match! As soon as she saw her pic in these hot new frames, a huge smile broke out across her face. Another happy customer!!
To the team from OneSight –
Hi. I just want to say thank you for the wonderful and friendly service you have given to the Kokstad community. From my side, I want to say a big thank you. It has been a couple of years that I’ve been without glasses and due to that, I could not get a job. As such, I did not have the money to buy a pair of glasses as they are very expensive. Today, I went for an interview and I’m starting work tomorrow. I’m on a trial basis for two weeks. Thank you guys for making our lives easier. I also want to thank you on behalf of my sister Judy and my brother’s daughter Angeliqua. We have all had an ‘eye gene’ problem and it’s hard for us to get glasses which are 100% perfect. May God richly bless each and every one of you. A special thank you to Oprah for making everything possible. May God bless you. - Marlene
Marlene is pictured below with her fiancé whom she is marrying in November. The best part of this story is that as we were snapping her pic, Dr. Obker strolled by and recognized Marlene as the aunt of Angeliqua (mentioned above) who had left Clinic yesterday without her glasses! She required an -16 which we did not have in stock. We provided temporary chabellas and are “adopting” her which means we’ll make a pair at home and ship them back.
Gwen Silverberg helped this 70-year old woman see clearly for the first time in many years. Her script was -22 and Gwen was able to find this beautiful pair of black and white cat eyes, which were a nearly perfect match. The moment she could see was very bitter sweet – she was crying tears of joy for being able to see clearly for the first time in many years, but also crying tears of sadness for all those years lost.
4-year-old Sanelisiwe suffers from a cataract in one eye (rare for someone her age), which made it very tough to find the perfect pair for her. After trying three pairs, Bekki Fagan was able to dispense this perfect pair. Her mom also received a new pair of chabellas making mom and daughter able to see each other clearly for the first time in many years.
Jamie Hall first saw this four year old in Autorefracting and couldn’t believe the read she was getting – a -11/-8.5. She was so curious if this was correct that she followed her through to the doctor stations. Dr. Frank Valentino did her exam. Because we brought some extra equipment on this Clinic, including a Phoropter, he was able to get a perfect script. It turned out Jamie’s read was really close and she was so thrilled to dispense a perfect match to this little one. To make things better, the little girl’s mom and grandmother also received glasses – both were at a -9.
Elsa received her first pair of eyeglasses, +3.00 readers. She is excited about being able to read again, especially her bible. Also, she has not seen her daughters’ faces clearly in several years and is happy for that gift.
Abongile, 8, in first grade was born with sublexated lenses which (in laymans’s terms, means her lenses can’t focus clearly). As a result of her poor vision, she is one year behind in school. Doctor Alan Levy gave her +7 glasses, which helped her see more clearly to do better in school!
Young 13-year-old Qiqipho had never worn glasses before coming through our Clinic. When she saw the docs, they were amazed because this teenager needed a +10 in both eyes! This means she was not able to see near to even read a book in front of her! Luckily, Tom Precht and Mike Smith were in IMS today and were able to find a perfect match! As soon as she saw her pic in these hot new frames, a huge smile broke out across her face. Another happy customer!!
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Obama Spends Time at Clinic
Hello blog followers!
Yesterday and today, we were blessed with a very special visitor - 8 month old Obama, who is the grandson of one of our volunteers! He is pictured here with Angie Oder who is ready to adopt every small child that comes through!
Regina Sharp couldn't help but dance along with this very grateful woman in her 60s who was getting her very first pairs of glasses at our Clinic. After dispensing two pairs of Chabellas to her (one for reading, the other for distance) she lept out of her chair and, literally for the next 15 minutes, danced around in complete joy. She kept saying how grateful she was and how she couldn't wait to go back to school (which she was forced to quit in 6th grade) to "expand her mind."
Yesterday and today, we were blessed with a very special visitor - 8 month old Obama, who is the grandson of one of our volunteers! He is pictured here with Angie Oder who is ready to adopt every small child that comes through!
Today was another busy day - especially since we've added a few more stations at Clinic. Among these is color blindness and depth perception. Pictured below is Thomas Precht giving a depth perception test to one of our many patients.
Dr. Dave Oebker and Dr. John Broaddus made the day of these two women! Dr. Oebker gave his 45-year-old patient, Benedicta, (pictured from left) a beautiful pair of glasses which were a perfect fit for her -11/-9 prescription. The best part? She had never had glasses before and was overcome with gratitude that she would now be able to see her children and grandchildren. Dr. Braoddus (pictured from middle to right) was able to dispense a pair of much-needed readers to his patient who thanked him with a bear-hug!
Dr. Dave Oebker and Dr. John Broaddus made the day of these two women! Dr. Oebker gave his 45-year-old patient, Benedicta, (pictured from left) a beautiful pair of glasses which were a perfect fit for her -11/-9 prescription. The best part? She had never had glasses before and was overcome with gratitude that she would now be able to see her children and grandchildren. Dr. Braoddus (pictured from middle to right) was able to dispense a pair of much-needed readers to his patient who thanked him with a bear-hug!
Regina Sharp couldn't help but dance along with this very grateful woman in her 60s who was getting her very first pairs of glasses at our Clinic. After dispensing two pairs of Chabellas to her (one for reading, the other for distance) she lept out of her chair and, literally for the next 15 minutes, danced around in complete joy. She kept saying how grateful she was and how she couldn't wait to go back to school (which she was forced to quit in 6th grade) to "expand her mind."
This recipient, pictured below, came through our Clinic yesterday and received a pair of +3 readers. Today, our photographer, Mark Lyons and video crew, Kim Bothen and Jeff Miller, went out to film recipients in their villages and came across her. She was happily humming and doing laundry - so thrilled she could finally see clearly!
Dr. Oebker also helped this wonderful woman who recently lost her husband and had no means to afford a new pair of glasses which she desperately needed. After hand selecting this beautiful pair and dispensing them to his patient, she exclaimed: "I wish my husband could wake up from the grave to see how happy I am."
97 year old, Ngcobo has never had glasses. To make things worse, more than 50 years ago, had her ophthalmic lenses removed from her eyes making her virtually blind. Today, Forum was able to help this woman see clearly possibly for the first time in her life. She was given a pair of bi-focals that nearly perfectly matched her +13/+12 need. When Forum and Mike Smith placed the glasses on her face, she immediately began reading the her own prescription from the glasses package - a very small script. She is now thrilled to head home and read her bible.
Dr. Richard Hultz was thrilled to help this 40-year-old woman pictured below. She was a -9 and had broken her glasses well over a year ago. Not able to afford a new pair, she came to Clinic in hopes of being able to see again. After a complete exam, Dr. Hultz personally came to our Eyewear Inventory Management System to select the perfect pair. Once placed on her face, she showed immediate excitement with a huge smile. She is thrilled to head back to work and now do a much better job!
Dr. James Hollmann and all the doctors have seen amazing pathology this whole trip and have referred a lot of patient to the local hospital. Today was no exception. This woman had a operculated retinal hole which could lead to retinal detachment. We were able to give her a pair of temporary glasses and she, along with many others, were referred for further care. 
Thanks so much to all who are following our journey and SPECIAL THANKS to all who are posting comments. We can't tell you how much it means to hear from home. We're missing you all so much!
OneSight Kokstad Clinic Team
Monday, July 20, 2009
Hello back home!
This woman literally jumped out of her seat at dispense when she received these hip rectangular frames which will allow her to read her bible and again attend church. Her excitement was son contagious that all in dispense including broke out into a dance party!
Even our fearless leader, David Berumen, jumped in to help when dispense got backed up and gave this very grateful 70-year-old the gift of sight.
After a great weekend off, we're back at it, at Oprah's Seven Fountain School! School was back in session today after a week off, so Clinic was a bit more hectic today. But, we again have seen record numbers. Here are a few stories from today!
Just before Clinic, Beth Conger, Leanne Wood, Tshepo Tsotetsi, Oralio Dutoit, Angie Oder and Kara Mitchell took time to pose for a quick pic!
This first story is AMAZING! The woman (pictured to below on the right with Madu and Tshepo) came to Clinic wearing hand-made glasses (pictured below left.) Literally, for the last 9 years, she continued to repair them with duct tape, string, wire and anything else to keep these -9.0's together. As you can see from her picture on the right, she is now VERY happy with a new pair of small frames that perfectly fit her prescription.
This woman literally jumped out of her seat at dispense when she received these hip rectangular frames which will allow her to read her bible and again attend church. Her excitement was son contagious that all in dispense including broke out into a dance party!
Even our fearless leader, David Berumen, jumped in to help when dispense got backed up and gave this very grateful 70-year-old the gift of sight.
At this Clinic, since we're helping a lot of children, we have a very robust "Chabella" (pictured below left) program. This is a great pair of glasses developed just for OneSight that are a completely round frame. We bring thousands of frames and an even greater stock of lenses to make custom glasses with an exact match! Jimmy Weaver (pictured below right) has been our dedicated volunteer in Chabella land since Clinic began. To date, we've made over 300 pair of chabellas which accounts for roughly 10% of all glasses dispensed at Clinic. Thanks Jimmy!
After a long day of working so hard, we all manage to have a great time! Here's team reps from down unda in Australia and New Zealand including: Todd Palmer, Helen Binckes, Forum Patel, Lisa Walkowick and Alice Telford.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Shout outs take two!
Beth Conger sends a huge hug and kiss back home to the worlds best husband and precious child. Missing you more thAn you van imagine, but having the time of my life. All that could make this better is if you were here. Luv you!
Angie Oder sends lots of hugs and kisses to Austin, Andrew, and Abby! I miss everyone, and am having the time of my life! Hello to EyeMed!
Jim Hollmann say hello to everyone back home! Love you and miss you!
Rob Fontaine sends hugs to Halle, Skyler, and Robyn.
Shout out from Tshepo and Oralio (2 of our South African team members) to all Luxottica family in South Africa.
Ciao Paola e Emilia grazie per essere qui a vivere questaa esperienza.
Angie Oder sends lots of hugs and kisses to Austin, Andrew, and Abby! I miss everyone, and am having the time of my life! Hello to EyeMed!
Jim Hollmann say hello to everyone back home! Love you and miss you!
Rob Fontaine sends hugs to Halle, Skyler, and Robyn.
Shout out from Tshepo and Oralio (2 of our South African team members) to all Luxottica family in South Africa.
Ciao Paola e Emilia grazie per essere qui a vivere questaa esperienza.
Shout Outs to the Folks Back Home
Hi everyone! Today is another day off so half of us are heading up the mountain for a 9k hike and the other half are heading to the beach. Those of us heading to the beach have a 2 hour drive so we're going to pass the time with some shout outs to the folks back home.
Lisa Walkowiak wants to say a huge hello to all the SGH stores across AUS and especially to family and her partner Greg!
Roger Knight: Carol, Katie and Jess _ missing you all and having a once in a lifetime Clinic in S. Africa. Can't wait to see you in a week.
Madhu Chawla says hello to all LC in region 81 and to mom, dad and Neetu and J
Paul Craven thanks again to all those who contributed to my fund-raising. Your donations made all this happen.
Forum Patel would like to shout out to all the people back in Wellington and especially my team in Porirua. I jut want to l
et you guys know that it's just so hot here and hope you are enjoying the winter back home. By the way Anna, I found a photo of what you are looking for.
Angela White says hi to everyone at home and Tim, I love you!
Gwen says happy one month anniversary to my love , Rob. Hello to my friends and family. I miss you and love you.
Bekki Fagan says hi to everyone in the UK and Ireland from a very hot and sunny South Africa. This mission jas again exceeded all my expectations. We have made such a difference in so many peoples lives already. Nd I know that we will be able to change more lives next week. I could not have asked to do this with a better group of people. Ill see you in a fee weeks if I decide to come back!
Brett Kartak wants to say hi to folks back home- Nikki, talk to u soon. Miss u guys and having a great time. Take to u all soon.
Carlos Velez would like to shout out to my wife and kids. This has been a great adventure. Store 217, you better be making goal. Los
Lisa Walkowiak wants to say a huge hello to all the SGH stores across AUS and especially to family and her partner Greg!
Roger Knight: Carol, Katie and Jess _ missing you all and having a once in a lifetime Clinic in S. Africa. Can't wait to see you in a week.
Madhu Chawla says hello to all LC in region 81 and to mom, dad and Neetu and J
Paul Craven thanks again to all those who contributed to my fund-raising. Your donations made all this happen.
Forum Patel would like to shout out to all the people back in Wellington and especially my team in Porirua. I jut want to l
et you guys know that it's just so hot here and hope you are enjoying the winter back home. By the way Anna, I found a photo of what you are looking for.
Angela White says hi to everyone at home and Tim, I love you!
Gwen says happy one month anniversary to my love , Rob. Hello to my friends and family. I miss you and love you.
Bekki Fagan says hi to everyone in the UK and Ireland from a very hot and sunny South Africa. This mission jas again exceeded all my expectations. We have made such a difference in so many peoples lives already. Nd I know that we will be able to change more lives next week. I could not have asked to do this with a better group of people. Ill see you in a fee weeks if I decide to come back!
Brett Kartak wants to say hi to folks back home- Nikki, talk to u soon. Miss u guys and having a great time. Take to u all soon.
Carlos Velez would like to shout out to my wife and kids. This has been a great adventure. Store 217, you better be making goal. Los
Friday, July 17, 2009
Checking In
Hi All!
We had a great day today! We were very busy with a lot of emotional stories! The clinic is done for two days, and tomorrow we are going on a safari!
We will update on Monday!
We miss everyone and really encourage everyone to leave a comment. They are read every morning at our clinic meeting and they really boost spirits to all clinic members!
We had a great day today! We were very busy with a lot of emotional stories! The clinic is done for two days, and tomorrow we are going on a safari!
We will update on Monday!
We miss everyone and really encourage everyone to leave a comment. They are read every morning at our clinic meeting and they really boost spirits to all clinic members!
Thursday, July 16, 2009
OneSight: Live It; Give It
The ever-wise Paul Craven kicked off today's Clinic with an inspiring phrase "OneSight: Live it; Give it" and today, we did just that! We saw the largest number so far during our three days (approximately 1,000) and provided amazingly quality care. We've added a few new stations to our Global Clinic including color blindness and depth perception among others. Here are some stories from today's experience:
Today, Dr. Madhu Chawla helped this elderly woman (pictured below) see clearly for the first time in a very long time. She had a very strong prescription. Unfortunately, we didn't have a singular pair in our supply of 40,000 glasses that would work, but we did have two seperate pair that did the trick. She received one to see distance and a second to read.
Roger Knight had a great moment at Clinic today - he dispensed two pair of glasses to two siblings that his store actually recycled back home! Atlonibe, 13-years old (pictured left below) and her 7-year-old brother Fernando now can see clearly thanks to Roger and the work of his store employees!
The little boy pictured below had no vision out of his right eye. Carlos Velez made his day by dispensing a pair of children's frames just his size that enabled him to see clearly his good eye. To make him happier, there were a pair of clip on "sunnies" to help protect his eyes outside.
Today, Dr. Madhu Chawla helped this elderly woman (pictured below) see clearly for the first time in a very long time. She had a very strong prescription. Unfortunately, we didn't have a singular pair in our supply of 40,000 glasses that would work, but we did have two seperate pair that did the trick. She received one to see distance and a second to read.
Roger Knight had a great moment at Clinic today - he dispensed two pair of glasses to two siblings that his store actually recycled back home! Atlonibe, 13-years old (pictured left below) and her 7-year-old brother Fernando now can see clearly thanks to Roger and the work of his store employees!
The little boy pictured below had no vision out of his right eye. Carlos Velez made his day by dispensing a pair of children's frames just his size that enabled him to see clearly his good eye. To make him happier, there were a pair of clip on "sunnies" to help protect his eyes outside.
A message from Carol de Souza "I am proud to make part of this Clinic! This team is fantastic and can keep people with the gift of sight is the best thing that happens in my life! I am very, very happy to stay here in South Africa."
We're really appreciating all the comments being posted. Please keep 'em coming! And, be sure to tell others to check out the blog as well!!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Kids, Kids and More Adorable Kids
The last two days have been all about helping kids - and man have they been CUTE! Today, we were visited by children from the Home of Comfort - a local orphanage of children abandoned by their parents or who have lost their parents to AIDS. These children were THE most well-behaved kids we'd ever seen. Team member Angie Oder ducked in to get the children some candy and by the time she got back, they had all lined up in a row - without being asked. Then they all got together and sang the National Anthem of South Africa in three different languages: English, Xhosa and Afrikaans. Click here to see the video.
Bekki Fagan helped this little three-year-old from the Orphanage who was the most well-behaved little boy at Autorafracting, staying perfectly still - a tough station for a little one. Bekki couldn't resist this pic!
Bekki Fagan helped this little three-year-old from the Orphanage who was the most well-behaved little boy at Autorafracting, staying perfectly still - a tough station for a little one. Bekki couldn't resist this pic!
Check out this little super star in her new shades, care of Kara Mitchell yesterday in Dilation.
15-year-old, Nontsikelelo, came through the Clinic with a script for -12. She had never before owned glasses. Thanks to Paul Craven - master of Chabellas, she now has a brand new pair of hand-made chabellas, just her script! "We only had the correct lense for this girl by a stroke of fate - the manufacturer labeled it as a +12; -1 and was actually a -12; -1, so it ended up as a defect and ended up in Chabellas," said Paul.
Karen Cianciolo has taken these munchkins under her wing as they waited for their family to go through the Clinic. Karen kept these kids laughing all the way.
For all those who have sent us messages, keep 'em coming! We're sharing them with the team during each morning de-brief and it means a lot for us to hear from home. Love to all - Team Kokstad!
What a Shocker!!
Hi all!
Sorry the posts have been a bit slow in coming - as you can imagine, internet access is spotty in the middle of the rolling mountains of Kokstad, South Africa! So, since we've all landed, things have been quite a shocker - some for the good, some for the bad. Let's get past the bad first:
Shocker #1 - It is absolutely FREEZING here! They were actually calling for snow today, but I believe we've dodged that one! All 44 of us are in about 5 layers with scarves and coats, but once the patients start to flow, it's all good! In fact, Michaela Svoboda fears she'll freeze to death. Don't worry friends and family, we promised we'd keep her warm and safe!
Now for the good shockers:
Shocker #2 - Kokstad is absolutely beautiful! Our hotel is located in a mountainous-wooded area that is simply breathtaking.
Shocker #3 - We are actually holding Clinic at Oprah's school, Seven Fountains. It is absolutely charming and self-sufficient. The school has a community garden to teach students how to farm and about good nutrition. They collect rain water and so much more.
Shocker #4 - Our team ROCKS! We are 44 from 9 different countries and are learning so much about other cultures and each other! Our team also includes two great vendors: Brett Kartak from Seiko Vision and Melinda Everly from Fidelity. Thanks to both for your continuous support!
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Starting Clinic
Everyone has gathered together safety from Germany, Italy, Ireland, Australia, Brazil, South Africa, Canada (eh!), and the USA. There are people lined up already! People have been waiting since yesterday. The school and scenery are amazing!
Monday, July 13, 2009
Landed in South Africa!
Two legs of the four leg trip complete! We have made it to johannesburg. 27 hours of travel down six more to go! 12 hours till clinic starts. We have little to no internet and will keep you posted when we can! We are all safe and healthy!
Friday, July 3, 2009
Welcome to the OneSight South Africa Clinic Blog
Hi!
Welcome to the OneSight Team South Africa blog!
In less than a week, our team of 40+ Luxottica employees, doctors and partners from countries around the world will meet for the first time with one common goal - to give the gift of sight to thousands in need in Kokstad, South Africa. This is one of 20 Global Clinics OneSight will be holding this year and the first of two in South Africa. Our Clinic marks the first time OneSight has entered South Africa and we're very excited!
Over the course of the two-week Clinic, we'll help approximately 15,000 local men, women and children see clearly. We bring 40,000+ pair of recycled eyewear and sunglasses and the expertise of our doctors and employees across Luxottica to provide eye exams and glasses to those in need.
Clear vision will give these children the ability to see clearly to learn in school and play with their friends. Clear vision will give local adults opportunities to seek employment.
Be sure to follow us each step of the way as we share our stories, pictures, experiences and more during our time in South Africa.
See you there!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
