Rushden optometrist heading to Ghana to provide life-changing eye care
An optometrist from Rushden is preparing to travel to Ghana for the first time this November to provide free eye tests and glasses to people living in rural communities in the Ashanti region.
Emma Darby, from Specsavers in Rushden, which is locally owned and run, will visit the small village of Gyetiase next week along with colleagues from several other Specsavers stores from across the East Midlands. She will be there for two weeks, working alongside the Ashanti Development Project, a charity which provides vital healthcare, eyecare, education, clean water and other community initiatives for people living in remote villages.
When a Specsavers team last visited the region in 2024, they carried out eye tests for more than 1,300 people, dispensed more than 1,000 pairs of glasses, and referred more than 70 people for cataract surgery. Emma and the team of 10 local optometrists and optical assistants are hoping to help even more people this time.
Access to eye care can be extremely limited in rural areas, and for many people this will be their first eye test. For many of those receiving support, access to glasses or surgery can make an enormous difference to their day-to-day lives, independence, ability to work and support their families.
Emma says: ‘It’s estimated that 95% of people that need glasses in Ghana don’t have access to affordable eye care services, so the work the Ashanti Development does makes a huge difference to people in the community and surrounding areas. I’m really looking forward to being part of the team and having the opportunity to use my skills to help
support the charity’s work and provide access to eye care and other essential services for communities that would otherwise go without.’
On top of eye tests and providing glasses, a major focus ahead of the trip has been to raise funds to support cataract surgery for those living with avoidable blindness. During the second week of the visit, a specialist team of surgeons will perform cataract operations on people identified and screened during the first week.
‘We’d like to say a huge thank you to the Rushden community for getting behind our fundraising efforts and for donating 620 pairs of old or unwanted pairs of glasses,’ continues Emma. ‘Every pair we can take with us gives us another opportunity to help someone see more clearly. Something that may have been sitting unused in a drawer here can genuinely help transform another person’s daily life.’
Through providing glasses and funding cataract surgery, the team hopes to make a lasting difference to individuals, families and communities across the region.
‘Whether someone donates a pair of glasses, contributes a few pounds to the fundraising appeal or simply helps us spread the word, every bit of support matters. I’d also like to say a big thank you to Irene Alford, one of our lovely customers, who has set up a group of more than 1,000 women from all over the UK who knit, sew and crochet cuddly toys, dresses and bags that are then personally taken by people who volunteer with charity projects in Africa. She has donated a lovely selection of items for me to take and I can’t wait to share with people in the communities we visit,’ concludes Emma.
There is still time to support the team’s fundraising efforts by heading to: https://gofund.me/80505b29fi. For more information or to drop off any unwanted glasses visit Specsavers Rushden at 48-50 High Street, Rushden, Northamptonshire, NN10 0PJ, or call 01933 417870.