On 28 September and 8 November, the Foundation conducted a Visual Support Project and an Audiology Project at Thembinkosi LSEN in Thembisa, funded by African bank. Thembinkosi is one of the seven schools supported by the African Bank across three provinces Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natala and Eastern Cape.
The Visual Support Project aims to provide primary eye care services to learners with limited access to medical care. This service is provided through eye screening, testing, referral for further treatment at a local clinic or hospital, dispensing of spectacles, and partnering with the local health care clinics, including aftercare services to address any mishaps such as breakage of spectacles, eye infections, adjustments of spectacles, and difficulty to access secondary treatment. Over 460 learners received eyesight screening and testing, with 160 of them receiving spectacles and over 30 learners being further referred to their local clinics for eye and allergy treatment.
This is while the Audiology project’s purpose is to identify and address the development of hearing problems that may affect the health and learning of learners. This project includes hearing screening, testing, and diagnosing learners to identify any hearing impairment. Additionally, the provision of hearing aids and provide training of educators on the management of language and auditory processing disorders. At Thembinkosi over 410 learners were tested with 15 hearing aids provided to learners in need.
