GOT some unused spectacles or sunglasses tucked away in a drawer? They could be making a greater difference to someone in a third-world country.
The Mornington Peninsula’s Friends of Lospalos Inc is partnering with the Lions program’s Recycle for Sight to encourage locals to donate their old glasses to help offer the gift of vision to the people in Timor-Leste. The program sees preloved spectacles and non-prescription sunglasses cleaned, graded, and refurbished before being sent to Timor-Leste, where the quality of eye care is often out of reach.
“Timor-Leste is one of our closest neighbours. The Mornington Peninsula Shire and community and the Mornington Peninsula Friends of Lospalos have a close working relationship with the community and local government sub-district of Lospalos – extending now over twenty years,” Friends of Lospalos president Colleen Hammond said. “These friendship groups were formed in local government throughout Australia and in Timor-Leste. The work is now carried on in our peninsula and in Timor-Leste by the incorporated Mornington Peninsula Friends of Lospalos, a registered charity and ATO endorsed deductible gift recipient (DGR).”
The Friends of Lospalos has helped provide capital works, teaching scholarships, flood food relief, optometry clinics and other programs for the Timorese of Lospalos. Hammond, an optometrist, said two optometry clinics have been held at the Lospalos Community Health Centre and hospital with Friends volunteers having equipped the centre and hospital with donated optometry equipment.
Hammond, together with Friends teams, have assessed more than 400 Timorese patients with prescription spectacles provided as part of the clinics.
“As one of our closest neighbours, Timor is close to the equator exposing the Timorese to some of the harshest of the sun’s rays,” Hammond said. “Pterygium – a fleshy growth over the eyes – grows and can cause not only ocular discomfort and visual distortion but also corneal scarring which is irreversible if not detected and treated early.
“In July a volunteer team of Friends will be visiting Lospalos to discuss with the resident medical officers a program for extending the Specs for Lospalos optometry clinics – outreaching to villages or sucos remote from the Lospalos town.”
The expansion of the existing specs program has been made possible by the donation of additional optometry equipment by retired Western Australian optometrist Mr Stephen Bowes providing trial frames, an opthalmoscope, retinoscope and a vision screen tester, Hammond said. “This equipment is used to correctly prescribe spectacles and examine the ocular health of patients, detecting retinal conditions such as macular degeneration, diabetes, retinopathy and glaucoma. It is widely used in school screening, outreach programs and domiciliary visits and will be used in the new Specs outreach program.”
To donate old glasses, drop them off at the red and black boxes provided at the shire offices at Rosebud (90 Besgrove St, Rosebud) from 9am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday; Mornington (2 Queen St) 9am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday; or Hastings (21 Marine Parade) 1pm to 4.30pm Monday to Friday. Alternatively, they can be left with Patricia Ball at Villa 582, Village Glen, 335 Eastbourne Rd, Capel Sound or call Patricia on 0419 131286.
To follow and join in the work of the Mornington Peninsula Friends of Lospalos Inc or to make a tax-deductible donation, visit friendsoflospalos.org or email info@friendsoflospalos.org or Facebook Mornington Peninsula Friends of Lospalos.
