For the last five years or so, the Rotary Club of Bali Lovina has been running a series of projects to provide eyeglasses to students in need in Buleleng. This has been made possible by generous donations from overseas clubs and individuals, as well as through the wonderful cooperation of Bali Top Optical.
It works like this … we use whatever sources and contacts we have, both inside and outside Rotary, to obtain funds for the eyeglasses project. Bali Top Optical has come on board and supports us with technical expertise, free testing, free frames and lenses at cost price (within certain financial limits of course).
We then seek out schools across Buleleng that would like to be part of the program. In this we have been greatly supported by a local yayasan, Peduli Sesama Philanthropic Work. This group has helped us to identify the schools in greatest need of assistance, with larger numbers of poor rural families.
Now the fun begins – the Rotary Club members head out to the chosen school with our set of eye charts and pretend to be optometrists. We test all the students in the school and list those who seem to have any difficulties with the eye chart. We usually end up with a list of between 50 to 80 students out of the 300 or so at the average SMP.
The real optometrists from Bali Top Optical then come out to the school with their technical equipment and test those we have previously listed. The computerized testing provides an immediate printout of the prescription required for each student.
The students are then able to choose a pair of frames from a wide range of stylish models – there is much use of the mirror at this point!
Finally, 2 or 3 weeks later, the technicians from Bali Top Optical accompany the Rotary Club members back to the school for the final handover and checks, and instructions for use and care.
Over the past four years or so, we have provided hundreds of students with eye glasses. The difference this has made to their lives has been immeasurable – there have been students previously unable to see the blackboard who now can. The number of students needing glasses in the poorer areas is significantly higher than national averages. We think this is due to a number of factors, but most probably poor nutrition in early years.
The project mainly concentrates on SMP students, as the experts tell us this is the point at which eyeglasses will make the most difference. However, we have also run the project at a small number of needy SMAs – and at the other end of the scale, at an old peoples’ home in Lovina. Being a small club in one of the poorest areas of Bali we have very limited opportunity to raise funds locally, and the funds we are able to raise have to support our other projects – about which, more next time it’s our turn for the Rotary News in the Bali Advertiser!
So we depend almost entirely on donations from outside, and up till now have received a great deal of support. But we are always seeking more funds to maintain and expand this project.
Education is the key to improvement of life in Bali, and the provision of eyeglasses is ensuring that some of our neediest students are not deprived of the opportunity to take part in all aspects of the classroom. We must acknowledge the sterling work of our Club Secretary, David Liscumb, in his untiring leadership of this project, and again thank our project partners Bali Top Optical and Peduli Sesama Philanthropic Work.
For more information about the Rotary Club of Bali Lovina (the only Rotary Club in all of Buleleng!) please visit our website at www.jepunsegara.com/rotaryclubbalilovina
There you will also find details of our meetings – please come along and join us next time you’re in Lovina! In fact, our next meeting on August 9 will be an Open House meeting to introduce anyone interested to our Club as part of our membership drive. Join us for morning coffee on that date – details on the website.
Keith Fletcher – Vice-President, Rotary Club of Bali Lovina
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