Group gives out over 100 reading glasses to Community

By Joy Obakeye

In commemoration of World Sight Day on October 13, yearly, Lions Clubs International, Ikeja dynamic district has given out over hundred glasses to the people of the Alausa community at a recent eye screening test in Lagos.

President of the group, Lion Alo Michael stated that the outreach being experienced is a community service project and it is one of the five core service projects of the lions club.

“We have been in this community before to render our helping hands and this period we dim it fit again to come up with this project so that they can benefit from the little we have. We are targeting over two hundred people to reach out to with reading glasses. Aside from the reading glasses, we have different types of drugs that we have come here with. We have eye drops, yeast, and all sort depending on the prescription of the optical doctors,” he disclosed.

He also assured the people of the community that the project is not a one-stop thing, “We can do it as a continual process. We can come back if we see that the people need this service. This community benefited from us when we carried out an adiabatic project. If we have patients that need surgery from this eye screening test today, like cataracts we will pick them and contribute for their surgery,” he assured.

He urged the beneficiaries to cultivate the habit of lending to others too even as they are being supported no matter how small so that it can go around.

Service Chairperson, Ikeja Dynamic Lions Club, Lion Jamin Mustapha, confirmed that the club came with hundred reading glasses to give to those that need them after the eye screening in the community, Identifying that most of them have eye defects that have not been discovered.

“Due to inadequate funds to go for eye checks they shy away from it, hence the reason we came up with this eye screening test so that their eye status will be detected on time and be treated before it goes beyond treatment. We have hundreds of reading glasses on the ground and if the number of those who need them proceeds, we will get more and give them to them.
We just gave out a reading glass to the Baale of the community, Cheif Muftan Toyin Badamus earlier, while we went to meet him. We found out that he uses glasses and we run a check on him and gave him a new reading eyeglass.”

He disclosed that their community services are aimed at bridging the gap between the government and the people, ”Nigeria is a large country that we hardly know the number of people living in the country. In Lagos, we don’t know the number of people leaving in the state, the population is on speculation. So, government find it difficult to prepare and cater for their needs which is why we rely on reaching out to the community in bridging the gap between the government and people who may not be reached. We come into those areas where the government is unable to spot and reach out to them.”

Also, a medical doctor, Eyelanders eye Clinic Bruno Ugochukwu Onu, attending to the patients urged the community to always go for an eye check-up so that issues of the eyes can be detected to eradicate preventable blindness.

“Sex to climate can cause eye defects because the tropical side of Africa is here in Nigeria. Our weather and environment can be a leading cause of its effects. Also, age and exposure to screens.
“So the most important thing is for people to be aware that most eye defects are symptomatic, meaning that you don’t know until you go for eye tests. So that’s why we try to create awareness every time for people to get their eyes checked and tested regularly. So that will eradicate preventable blindness as much as we can.”

He advised that people take a lot of food that is rich in vitamin A and foods rich in antioxidants because he said that what we eat can also cause damage to the eyes.

Comrade Olutunde Samson Yemi, on behalf of the youth in the community, thanked the club for reaching out to them. “I noticed that most people even the youth can not see very well or read well so I reach out to them to come with their humanitarian service and they did. So, on behalf of the youths in this Alaska Community, we say thank you to them.

A beneficiary, Musili Adebukola said she is happy with the club for coming to render help to them according to her, she does not read well so with the help of the reading glass being given to her, she will be able to read well.

Also, a beneficiary, Lukmon Sulaimon, said their coming to the community is an advantage for him because he wanted a glass that he canusedsing to read and see well.