Mayo Specsavers optician brings a vision of hope to community in India

Colleagues from Specsavers have completed a vital trip to Kolkata, India, delivering essential eye care in partnership with The Hope Foundation.

Niamh O’Connell, Ophthalmic Optician, Specsavers Castlebar, joined a dedicated team of Specsavers volunteers on the mission.

Their crucial support involved providing eye care in collaboration with Hope Hospital Eye Clinic and reaching out to local communities.

This ongoing partnership has been incredibly impactful, with Specsavers raising over €130,000 this year alone, contributing to a remarkable total of €861,785 since 2017, dramatically improving the lives of Kolkata's most vulnerable.

During their eight-day visit, the expert team conducted eye checks for 3,722 patients, dispensed over 2804 pairs of glasses, and, in more severe cases, referred patients to Hope Hospital for necessary surgery.

For most of these individuals, it was their very first time seeing an optician and accessing the basic eye health care we often take for granted in Ireland.

Niamh highlighted her gratitude for the trip.

She said: "To have the opportunity to join The Hope Foundation in Kolkata this year was truly profound, and I'm deeply appreciative.

"The dedication and impact of their work with street-connected communities are simply incredible; they are literally rebuilding futures.

"It was a privilege to be part of the Specsavers Hope Blindness Eradication trip and to use my expertise to provide eye health advice and glasses to the many people we saw there.

"Witnessing firsthand the immense power of our collective support, especially seeing the gift of sight restored for thousands, was an honour that will stay with me. A massive thank you to everyone involved in making this possible."

For the people seen by Specsavers on this trip, receiving glasses is often a life-changing intervention.

It empowers them to pursue education, secure work to support their families, or simply to enjoy the everyday world with clarity.

The Specsavers team encountered countless inspiring individuals whose lives were profoundly changed by basic eyecare, including Samaresh, a 63-year-old shopkeeper who had struggled with poor vision his entire life, simply believing it was normal.

Receiving bifocal glasses from the pop-up clinic transformed his perception, perfectly encapsulating the profound impact of such a simple intervention.

Another vital encounter involved a 38-year-old truck driver whose -4 prescription made his job dangerously challenging; fitted with correct glasses, his world quite literally opened up, powerfully demonstrating why the team returns each year.

Samiran Mallik, CEO of The Hope Hospital, underscored the critical impact of the Specsavers team's efforts to expand access to eye care.

He highlighted that 90% of blindness cases are preventable if timely treatment is available.

After their visit, Specsavers proudly presented a cheque for €54,450 to The Hope Foundation in Ireland.

This significant donation will play a vital role in sustaining the essential eye care clinic in Kolkata.

HOPE Founder, Maureen Forrest, explained the profound importance of their work.

"This programme is the difference between life and death for people who can’t feed their families. Vision is everything to people, and for us to be able to support them on their vision journey is a great privilege.

‘Vision is everything to people and for us to be able to support them in their vision journey is a great privilege.’

Specsavers were also thrilled to bring four optometry students from Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin)– Etse Oshiogwemoh, Aoibhe Bolger, Clodagh Carroll, and Lubina Laibu – and their lecturer, John Mulhern, to Kolkata.

This initiative is part of Specsavers' academic partnership with TU Dublin, designed to allow students observe crucial skills in a professional environment for their academic studies.

The Hope Foundation Ireland is a registered Irish charity dedicated to working with street-connected and slum-dwelling communities in Kolkata.

The charity strives to free children and impoverished families from lives of pain, abuse, poverty, and darkness, improving their lives by providing access to healthcare, nutrition, education, drug rehabilitation, and life skills training.

With the continued support of Specsavers and The Hope Foundation, improved eye care will become more accessible to children living in Kolkata's slums and those in hospital care.