PHILIPSBURG:---The signature project for the St. Maarten Lions Club under the Immediate Past President Lion Davey Woods was the eye screening of 3417 public primary school children from groups 3 to 8 by VOSH International under the theme “Eyes for a Brighter Future”. The passing of Hurricane Irma postponed the project from November 2017 to May 2018.
VOSH (Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity) is a Non-Profit Organization headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska with a mission to bring “Vision to Every Person on the Planet” since 1971. The organization which has close ties with Lions Club International will be sending 19 doctors and assistants to St. Maarten along with 3 fast screening machines to test the eyes of all primary school children while the team of doctors are on the island for one week only.
VOSH will bring and also supply eye glasses for the children on the spot that need glasses. The children which do not receive glasses on the spot because of non-availability or special requirements, VOSH will purchase the prescriptions from the US, Canada or locally within a 3 week period.
Airline tickets for the VOSH group were bought for November 2017 and the Optometrists and their assistants have to use their tickets before the one year period expires. They all have reconfirmed their tickets and have submitted their arrival days and times on Saturday & Sunday May 12th and 13th, 2018.
The eye screening of all primary school children is being done by a committee headed by
Immediate Past President Lion Davey Woods who been negotiating with the Ministry of Health & the Ministry of Education for the permits for the doctors and organizing with all school managers for the transportation of the school children to the Belair Community Center. The eye screening will take place there over a 5 day period, Monday thru Friday. In order to complete the project on time, the St. Maarten Lions Club has requested class deviation and extended school hours from the Ministry of Education for those days.
The project is completely free to all school children but require the signed consent of their parent or guardian for the free testing which will be May 14th - 18th, 2018 from 7:30am - 4pm at the Belair Community Center.
This Sight Project by St. Maarten Lions Club is funded for 80% by donations and fundraisings over the past year and through generous donations from various sponsors while VOSH is handling the balance of the funding.
http://www.smn-news.com/st-maarten-st-martin-news/29166-signature-project-overview-eye-screening-may-14th-18th-2018.html
