Rabin went home happily wearing the eye-glasses

While looking for any existing problem in the daily school activities of Preprimary to Class-3 students during early screening under the project “Reading for All”(R4A) operating with USAIDs financial assistance and in partnership between Handicap International and World Education, an eye problem was found in a Class-2 student of Shree Salleri Primary School situated in Dhankuta Municipality, Ward no. 5, Karmitar. His name is Rabin Mudel. As per the objective of the project, Rabin was referred to Ram Prasad Eye Hospital for his eye check-up. He went to the hospital with his mother. The doctor suggested that he should wear eye-glasses. After the coordination and discussion between the R4A project and the hospital management, Rabin was given eye-glasses free of cost. Then, wearing the eye-glasses Rabin went home happily.

The principal of the school, Ghanendra Kumar Subba said, “We hadn’t realized that Rabin was having vision problem while studying in class, but during the early screening, an eye problem was discovered in him. We thank this program of R4A project. Rabin has been coming to school every day now wearing the eye-glasses as advised by the doctor.”

Rabin’s mother said, “My son didn’t use to take interest in reading, it was because, I know now, he wasn’t able to see properly. Rabin has been wearing the eye-glasses for 12 days now, and the situation has improved. He sees the letters easily now and so has started to take interest in his studies. I send him to school every day with his eye-glasses on.”

Class teacher Mina Devi Dahal said, “Rabin didn’t use to see straight, didn’t write letters straight, used to copy from the white board slowly, and see things taking them close to his eyes, and look at things getting comparatively closerthan his classmates of the same age. All that was perhaps he couldn’t see properly. Now that he has got eye-glasses, the situation has changed. He now writes letters straight, with equal size, and clean too. And he also does his homework regularly. Previously, we used to scold him for not reading and writing well, but now we have understood that it was all because of his vision problem. Rabin’s example shows that this type of early screening is very necessary in schools.”

Rabin Mudel is just one example of the benefit of early screening done under the RFA project. The ability to see is more important than having the physical eyes. Thus, a small attempt of R4A project has made Rabin’s vision bright and thereby his future also bright.

Sujata Rai
Program Officer
R4A, Dhankuta