More than 1,000 people in Ethiopia have received eyecare thanks to an optician and a lab technician from Ellesmere Port.
Optometrist Alex Whitter and lab technician Mike Horsefield, who both work in the Ellesmere Port Specsavers store, travelled to the Horn of Africa where they worked to give vital aid to people without access to eyecare.
They visited villages near the city of Hawassa in the Great Rift Valley to give much-needed eye tests to more than 1,000 people and glasses to those who needed them.
Working with Vision Aid Overseas, the pair also trained optometry students at Hawassa University.
They also set out to teach people to make their own glasses, help the locals become self-sufficient and improve the level of eyecare in the area.
The trip was Alex’s sixth with the charity which saw him leading a group of five optometrists from all over the UK.
On his first trip with Vision Aid Overseas, sponsored by Specsavers, Mike’s role was to glaze and dispense glasses.
Alex says: “It was heart-warming to see the enthusiasm of the group. Everyone who made the journey was determined to help people who are less fortunate.
“In the UK, infections and other problems with eyes can be spotted and treated quickly, but in the developing world people who have no access to that kind of healthcare are at risk.
“Untreated eye infections can lead to blindness and even be fatal in some cases.
“People’s lives can be destroyed by failing sight. This trip really made a difference.”
Anyone wishing to donate old specs to the charity can drop them off in-store.
