On the way to the eye camp
In 2024, GoodVision provided eyeglasses and vision tests in exactly 6,969 eye camps on three continents. That means checking the equipment 6,969 times, loading the car, and hitting the road with colleagues. Sometimes it’s just to the nearest school, but sometimes it’s several thousand kilometers to the other end of the country. But what exactly happens at an eye camp? We’ll take you to an eye camp in Malawi’s capital, Lilongwe.
It is still early, but the team in Lilongwe has already done a great job. Preparations for the eye camp are almost complete. The last items to be packed are the new measuring glass boxes. These are replacing the lens bars used in vision tests in more and more program countries.
In pouring rain, we set off for the eye camp opposite Chinsapo Primary School near Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi.
This patient uses hand signals to indicate where the openings of the “Snellen hooks,” which resemble the letter E, are located on the eye chart.
GoodVision technician Berta holds a near vision test chart to help the customer determine the optimal strength for her reading glasses.
Fortunately, it had stopped raining by the time we arrived at the eye camp. The new tent is slightly larger than the old one, which had to be replaced after only a year. The tents don’t last long because they are in constant use.
Always at eye level: We use the time in line to provide information. How does an eye test work? What are the steps involved in an eye camp? What can I do in everyday life to protect my eyes?
Ready to go! Kaleidos’s Adaptica is ready too. “The Adaptica autorefractometer accurately determines the patient’s visual acuity in just a few seconds. It’s fully automatic, so the patient doesn’t need to do anything,” Edson explains. “This saves a lot of time during the subjective eye test that follows, where the final lens values are determined.”
There is a large crowd at the first station of the eye camp where patients are registered. This is where patient data is recorded. Since the end of 2024, this has been done digitally via the GoodVision app in an increasing number of program countries. After Registration, Edson starts with the first eye tests. The students from the neighboring elementary school watch him curiously.
This patient uses hand signals to indicate where the openings of the “Snellen hooks,” which resemble the letter E, are located on the eye chart.
GoodVision technician Berta holds a near vision test chart to help the customer determine the optimal strength for her reading glasses.
Fortunately, it had stopped raining by the time we arrived at the eye camp. The new tent is slightly larger than the old one, which had to be replaced after only a year. The tents don’t last long because they are in constant use.
Always at eye level: We use the time in line to provide information. How does an eye test work? What are the steps involved in an eye camp? What can I do in everyday life to protect my eyes?
Next stop: Good eyesight. At the last stop, GoodVision Malawi colleagues will fit patients with the right glasses.
