Eyeglasses for Ethiopia

Eighth-grader Yenenesh is collecting eyeglasses to hand-deliver to a hospital in Ethiopia. Yen, who was adopted from Ethiopia at the age of 5, will visit the country with her parents at the end of March.

Yen says:

“Before I came to America, I didn’t know I had a problems with my eyes. I didn’t even know glasses existed. My parents also had no clue my eyes were as bad as they were. We didn’t suspect anything until about a month after I had come to America. My grandmother noticed that I always sat a foot away from the TV and when I read or was being read to I always had the book really close to my face. We got my eyes checked and were told that I was legally blind. Who knew? I was ecstatic on the car ride home from the eye doctors after getting glasses. Everything was so clear and bright! Nothing was hazy, blurry, or fuzzy. I saw trees with bright green leaves. I saw cars with spinning tires. When I saw people talking and laughing, and I could see their teeth!

After seeing how much these glasses changed my life, we assumed that there are many people back in Wolaita, the area I came from, who don’t have access to glasses or eye care in general. So we decided to collect used glasses to donate to people while we are there. We contacted a local hospital in Sodo and they are excited to give our donated glasses to local school children.

I am so happy to be able to help people who otherwise might be struggling to see the world around them, experience it as the wonderful, vivid world as I now know it to be.”

Yen has already collected hundreds of eyeglasses. If you would like to contribute to the cause, please drop off glasses in the Middle School office by March 15. Glass cases are also welcome.