Eye Care for Africa

What do you do with more than 1,300 pairs of disused reading glasses? The answer for Havelock North Rotarian Niall McCormack was simple – repurpose them and then take them to Africa where they are greatly needed.

The Hastings-based optometrist quickly got club members on board with the project to collect glasses that could have new lenses put in them at minimal cost and soon other Rotary clubs in the Hawkes Bay joined in as well.

Niall had visited Uganda in 2017, volunteering to provide eye care to children and their carers at an orphanage, and the level of need was obvious. When he returned to New Zealand, he founded the charity Eye Care for Africa.

“I saw children with conditions such as cataracts and knew their lives could be vastly improved with appropriate eye care,” he says.

“The more than 1,300 pairs of glasses collected will make a huge difference to the quality of vision, and therefore the lives, of children and their carers in Tanzania.”

The charity aims to service the eye care of orphans in East Africa, provide training to local providers, introduce up-to-date equipment and provide a scholarship for a Hawkes Bay student to experience the work firsthand. They are also trying to raise money to build a small eye clinic in Tanzania.

Fellow Havelock North Rotarian Peter Mayne says initially the aim had been to collect 1,000 pairs of used glasses.

“We are delighted with the response and, with the help of other Hawkes Bay Rotary clubs, have exceeded our target to support this vital work and improve the lives of so many in the most marginalised areas of East Africa,” Peter says.

To raise the profile of the charity and raise funds, Niall commenced walking the Te Araroa Trail from the top of New Zealand to the bottom – a 3,008km odyssey on foot. Niall started the adventure on October 25 last year and completed his mission on March 9 this year, raising almost $15,000 in the process.