In the rugged landscapes of Da Bac district in Vietnam, with its deep valleys and towering peaks, access to basic services like eye care is only a distant hope for many. For residents here, it can take up to four hours to the nearest eye care centre - a journey almost impossible due to the remote location, limited transportation and high costs.
Toan, a 10-year-old boy who lives with his grandparents in Da Bac, Vietnam, struggled with blurry vision. It has kept him from reading the board at school, affecting his grades and confidence.
His grandmother recalls, "Sometimes Toan would tilt his head trying to see. He often complained about not being able to see clearly, but I didn’t know why. It made it so hard for him to write down what the teachers said, and his school results began to suffer."
Toan in his home of Da Bac district where you have made a difference in access to eye care in schools by supporting Orbis.
Toan lives with his grandparents who are farmers. The family barely gets by, struggling to make ends meet with the little they earn from the land. This has made it hard for Toan’s grandparents to afford eye care.
But in 2023, hope came through a project launched by Orbis in the Luong Son and Da Bac districts. For the first time, Toan was given a free eye screening at school, conducted by his teacher and an Orbis trained eye care worker.
Orbis team visited Toan at his home, here they are assembling a model Flying Eye Hospital. Because of your support, children like Toan are able to get involved in activities like these without worry.
The screening revealed that Toan had a refractive error, and a follow-up exam diagnosed him with astigmatism – a condition that causes distorted or blurred vision because the eye isn’t perfectly round. Thanks to the project, Toan received a pair of free glasses, which finally helped him see the world around him without blur.
"I love them! I can see clearly now," Toan says with a smile.
His grandmother adds, "Toan is still getting used to the glasses, but he can already see much better. We are so grateful to everyone who helped our grandson. Without this support, we can’t imagine what would have happened to his vision."
A pair of glasses is a simple solution to those who need it, we just need to get to them. With your support of Orbis, we will be able to reach and help more children like Toan.
Thanks to your generosity, Toan and many other children like him now have the chance to see a brighter future. But there are still millions of children who need help - and who, without it, may never have access to eye care.
At Orbis, we are committed to bring vital eye care to every child, no matter how hard to reach or difficult the journey, because no child should have to suffer because of where they live.
With your support, we can make a difference - one pair of glasses at a time. Together, let’s help save sight and change lives.
