EYE FOCUS | FEATURE
“May I challenge each and
everyone to go out there and
make a difference in someone's
life. Be the change. Help and
always be kind .”
The team provides residents with donated eyeglasses,
safety glasses, sunglasses and reading glasses.
Zacharko says in Canada, about three to four children
in Grade 1 typically require glasses. In Haiti, about 25
out of 30 Grade 1 students need vision correction due
to lack of nutrition and other factors.
While on the mission trips, Zacharko says she also
trains the locals to help each other.
“Each trip I teach the nuns how to treat and test small
things. We leave all our extra supplies there so they
have use of Snell charts. The foundation has worked
to build a building to serve the population and run
clinics more often throughout the year. Also bringing
optical equipment like auto refractors and lensom-
eters to leave there so they can learn it and serve their
own population,” she says.
“Education is key. They also need to learn how to
protect their eyes and prevention will help future
generations.”
While countless stories from the mission trips have
touched her heart, Zacharko recalls one that she will
never forget.
She met a boy who was about 14 years old and had
never had glasses before.
He told Zacharko that he couldn’t see the trees.
The vision care team was able to find glasses to cor-
rect the boy’s vision.
“He stood before me crying with tears of joy. A huge
smile on his face. He could see the trees. But ‘wow, I
can see the leaves on the trees too.’ He couldn’t believe
it. He gave me a big hug and was so overwhelmed,”
she says.
“What you realize is it is not just about the glasses.
It is about the people. You come and show love, that
you care. You give them a reason to live and try and
hope for their future. Many of them have told me I
give them a reason to live. That is so powerful. Think
about that for a minute.”
Eye care services also paves the way for people to find
jobs because they can now see well enough to sew, do
woodwork and harvest crops.
This, in turn, allows the adults to better provide for
their families.
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