In the summer of 2023, the Hatters Explorer Scout Unit will be giving the gift of sight to those who cannot see due to old age. We will be providing this service to people in remote areas of North India who cannot otherwise access it.
We are working in partnership with trekMountains and a UK based optician who is training us in the skills required to deliver the service.
Before travel we will learn to assess eyesight and prescribe the correct lenses, we will also be collecting the glasses required for the project and travel to Nepal and India with the appropriate glasses.
trekMountains and The Hatters are currently researching the areas of Ladakh in conjunction with local eye hospitals to determine where an optical project of this nature will best serve the local communities – ideally places with little access to eye care.
We are already trying to collect second-hand glasses from friends, relatives, through local collections and through advertising the idea (e.g. in supermarkets, churches, local opticians etc).
Reading glasses are more useful than distance glasses, (see Useable Glasses Requirements in materials section). We will only collect the right glasses, however. The Specs we are collecting are listed here:
READING GLASSES: Single vision (i.e. not multifocal) with similar power in each lens of +1.00, +1.50,+2.00, +2.50 +3.00.
Maybe a few stronger glasses, but they are less successful than the powers from +1 to +3. o
DISTANCE GLASSES: It is harder to assess the needs of distance vision, though a few distance vision glasses could be collected. Single vision (ie not multifocal) with similar power in each lens of -1.00, -1.50, -2.00, -2.50 and -3.00
Once collected, our optician contact, Pat, will assess the power and suitability of the glasses that have been sourced, and will label and bag them appropriately. This process takes some time, so we will need to start supplying glasses to Pat as soon as possible
trekMountains will assist us in ensuring that the project is advertised to the local communities ahead of the group arriving to make maximum impact.
Once in-country, the Hatters will assess the patients with local interpreters to help with language issues.
Raw Materials required:
• Training of leaders, assessment of appropriate glasses and the reading charts will be provided free of charge by Pat
• If any extra funds have been raised, there is the possibility that the funds could go to help with more serious eye problems (e.g. cataracts) which are identified during the course of this project.
• Reading glasses
• Magnifying lenses
• Clear plastic bags to transport the glasses
• Shoe boxes to pack the glasses into for transportation