Vulcan Club President John Giles reports:

'My Vision Aid Overseas trip to The Gambia as an optometrist was quite an eye-opener - to say the least!

V.A.O. is a charity set up and run by British optometrists to help local optometric services in Third World countries. A dozen or so countries are being helped at present, but the scheme is still expanding  I led a team of six visiting Banjul Hospital and outlying clinics  to assist two of the three opticians servicing the entire needs of a country of over one million people! Our job included examining patients and making use of a supply of three thousand pairs of glasses, donated by opticians and individuals in the U.K., which we had taken with us. More importantly, we were to teach nurses and optical assistants the basic skills of examination to be able to carry on when we left. These people are, themselves, not numerous because the government unfortunately cannot afford to pay for many of them.

With high humidity and temperatures soaring to 34ºC working conditions for the two teams of three in small rooms were pretty uncomfortable, particularly as we had only one or two hours a day of electricity to work the fans.

Most of the glasses were dispensed for more simple reasons but to very good effect. Imagine being without reading glasses (especially if you are over 45); work can become impossible and support for the family put in jeopardy. A small charge of about a day's pay is made for the spectacles, which are then valued and looked after.

I was able to take with me some optical equipment donated by Vulcan Rotary Club, which was presented to Hannah Faal, an ophthalmologist who is also the Sightsavers West Africa organiser. We were also grateful for the use of the Sightsavers Land Rover, enabling us to visit some outlying clinics.'