300 students received vision tests along with 150 parents, grandparents and guardians.
Donor Lyn Avery and Cambodia Academy school board member Marissa Troxell made a special gift to fund a Seva "eye camp" at the school on January 18, 2019. Seva (www.seva.org) is a global nonprofit eye care organization that transforms lives and strengthens communities by restoring sight and preventing blindness. Seva had previously made an eye screening visit to the campus in 2016, and during that visit 18 of our students received glasses.
During this most recent two-day eye camp at the school, the eye care professionals from Seva set up screening areas in the cafeteria and several classrooms and performed vision tests on the entire student body of 300 along with more than 150 parents, grandparents and other guardians of the students. They found that eight students and three teachers needed vision correction. Glasses have been provided as part of the eye camp service.
In addition, 24 adults needed cataract surgery to restore their sight. To date, 18 surgeries were successfully performed at a local clinic on January 21 and the bandages removed on January 22. It is a deeply touching experience to be present when people who have not seen, in some cases for years, are given renewed vision to see their loved ones.
Special thanks to the local ophthalmologist team and Banteay Meanchey Hospital; Seva; Marissa and Lyn; and our principal Soviet Miech for making this happen and sharing the gift of sight with our students and guardians.
Click below to see a Facebook live video we posted while on campus.
