Screening children in Siliguri through REACH

Through our REACH projects we partner with schools to build teams of eye care professionals and provide them with the tools they need to perform eye exams, distribute eyeglasses, and refer children needing specialized care to vision centers or local hospitals. 

Addressing vision impairment can enhance a child's educational opportunities, boost their self-confidence, and make playing and socializing easier. Something as simple as getting glasses can help a child unleash potential and thrive.

REACH teams are in Siliguri, West Bengal, where we aim to reach nearly 400,000 children through 800 schools over the course of the project. 

The Orbis team is identifying and treating refractive errors among pupils aged six to 18 in schools by training teachers to spot vision problems, providing students with eye exams, and referring them for treatment at one of three green vision centers or in our partner hospital, the Siliguri Greater Lions Eye Hospital.

For so long, the 14-year-old thought the eye strain she experienced was normal. The ambitious seventh-grader dreams of being a doctor, which would have proved impossible had her eye problems continued. Fortunately, our REACH team screened Kunti and her fellow pupils at their school in Siliguri where her vision problem was identified and treated. 

Kunti was referred for a detailed eye examination at a nearby Orbis-supported vision center, where she was diagnosed with refractive error and prescribed glasses. She says, “No matter where I sit in the classroom now, I can see the blackboard clearly.” 

With her new glasses, Kunti helpfully raises awareness of the importance of eye checkups, especially for those that use their cell phones, or spend time watching screens.

Seventh-grader Prince adores football, and his favorite subject is Hindi. Setting his sights on playing football professionally like his idol Cristiano Ronaldo, he starts each morning with a jog through the tea gardens near his home. 

He could have been held back from his dreams had his vision problems been left undiagnosed. Fortunately, Prince was screened via our REACH project at his school. 

After a follow-up screening at an Orbis-supported vision center, he was diagnosed with refractive error and treated with glasses which will make day-to-day life much easier for him. His grandmother tells us: “Eye health is so important. He’s very young, so it’s really necessary to correct his vision now.”

Bright 13-year-old Thakur was challenged by her vision! She needed to study after dark with the help of a very bright light. Without it, she couldn’t read her favorite Hindi adventure storybooks and do her homework. 

At school, she developed a strategy of sitting on the bench in the second row—a distance from the teacher and the blackboard that her impaired vision could manage. She also relied upon friends at school to read aloud to her when the letters were too small for her to see.

Thakur’s vision problems were caught by our REACH team who referred her to an Orbis-funded vision center where she was diagnosed with high refractive error and chose a lovely pair of ruby-colored frames to ensure she both looked good and could see well. 

Thakur can now see the board at school clearly and is excelling in her studies. To ensure healthy vision, she will have to return there every six months for check-ups.

A huge heartfelt thank you to our wonderful supporters and dedicated partners who are helping us improve eye care for children around the world.