“ET MIREM ALS ULLS” PROJECT
Throughout this year, we have continued to carry out our project “We Look Into Your Eyes,” which was initiated in May 2016.
“We Look Into Your Eyes” is the local project of the Etnia Barcelona Foundation, and once again, we have provided visual screenings to children in Barcelona and the metropolitan area who are living in vulnerable situations.
In many cases, without our intervention, many families would have difficulties accessing visual care services and it would be nearly impossible to obtain glasses.
The goal is to offer comprehensive visual health, which is why we have joined efforts with other organizations to treat pathologies, offer surgical interventions when necessary, and provide visual therapy treatments at no cost.
“We Look Into Your Eyes” is carried out through the network of Open Centers in Catalonia, where all attending children come from social services.
During the school season, we conduct a “We Look Into Your Eyes” action approximately once a month at open centers where we have previously presented our project and they have shown interest in enjoying an afternoon of action at their headquarters.
We travel with a team of volunteer Optometrists, students from the Faculty of Optics and Optometry of Terrassa, students from the Cycle of Technical Specialists in Optics of the Salvador Seguí institute, employees of the Etnia Barcelona company, and our specialist in visual therapy.
All our volunteers receive a working protocol informing them of the procedures for the day of the action.
One of the things that makes the project special is that we are the ones who travel to the centers and examine all the children in their environment, thus we believe that everyone has the opportunity to attend the examination.
All the children who are examined during the action receive a report detailing the tests that have been performed and the results obtained.
In cases where glasses are needed, the child can choose the frame they want on the same day, and a few weeks later they will be delivered at no cost.
The assembly of all prescribed glasses is done under the Collaboration Agreement with the Salvador Seguí Institute, where students and faculty of the Optics Frame Technician cycle carry out all the assemblies of the glasses for each session.
Within 2-3 weeks, the glasses are ready for delivery.
The delivery of the prescribed glasses is done through optics close to the centers where the children go, these optics are called solidarity optics. This way, we also ensure that the family has a point of reference in case the child’s glasses break or if there are any discomforts. They can visit this optical shop, and from there, they contact the foundation, and we resolve the issue.
To develop this project, we have joined forces with other major institutions with extensive experience in the optical sector:
- Terrassa Vision University Center is the University Clinic of the Faculty of Optics and Optometry of Terrassa. Its Mission: To become a reference center for quality visual care, pursuing university excellence in its own areas: teaching and research. Among its objectives is to establish links with society to strengthen the perception of the social function that the University performs.
- Salvador Seguí Institute’s Optics Training Cycle, which carries out a volunteer action integrated within the “We Look Into Your Eyes” project, through which students and faculty of this cycle perform the assembly of prescribed glasses in each action from the 2018-19 season to the present.
A singularity of the project and one of the most enriching values is to incorporate learning and service involving the Faculty of Optics and Optometry of Terrassa and the optics cycle of the Salvador Seguí Institute, whose students are key players in the development of the actions.
- Solidarity Optometrists: we have a group of registered optometrists who collaborate with the project and accompany us during the action afternoon to carry out visual examinations and prescribe the necessary glasses.
- Visual Therapist: we have a visual therapist already incorporated into the project since 2021.
During this year, we have also followed up on the children and young people who were examined in 2020. This is an additional service within the project where we have been able to continue with the children previously examined within the same project and framework, where they can access new glasses and lenses, with the commitment that families have previously taken their children to the specialist visit.
DATA 2022 “WE LOOK INTO YOUR EYES
Centers visited during 2022
- SOCIAL ASSOCIATION CENTER GABELLA
- PERE CLOSA FOUNDATION – CIBERCAIXA – SOUTH BADALONA
- PERE CLOSA FOUNDATION – Siklavipen Sant Roc
- PERE CLOSA FOUNDATION – Siklavipen Hospitalet
- CASAL DELS INFANTS LA MINA
- VILADECANS CITY COUNCIL
- CASAL DELS INFANTS LA MINA
- Beneficiaries served: 333 children. Out of the 333 children served, 37.95% had never had their vision checked before.
- The average age was 10.37 years. 135 pairs of glasses were prescribed, and there were 64 new glasses users.
- During our actions, it was found that 50 children needed an initial visit with our visual therapist, and those who needed to work with our visual therapist did so in the same center where the children were seen.
- We referred 2 children to the IMO center to be examined by an ophthalmologist and provide appropriate care once the diagnosis was obtained. In the FOLLOW-UP service, 27 children and adolescents were able to enjoy new glasses.
This indicates that these actions we carry out every month in different neighborhoods of Barcelona and municipalities of Catalonia for children are very necessary. Since in many cases we encounter teenagers who have never had a visual examination before, cases where they know they need glasses or that their current ones are broken but have not been able to replace them due to the family’s economic situation.
SANTA YALLA SOLIDARITY OPTICS PROJECT. IMPROVEMENT OF ACCESS TO VISUAL HEALTH AND OPTOMETRY SERVICES IN ZIGUINCHOR AND OTHER POPULATIONS OF SENEGAL
In Senegal, around 200,000 people are blind and more than 400,000 have significant eye disorders that can lead to blindness if not treated properly. One of the most important factors causing this situation is poverty and the lack of material resources to access health services, including visual health.
In this field, the main issues are the lack of qualified personnel to perform refractions (the optometrist as a professional in ocular health does not exist and this task is usually carried out by an ophthalmologist and/or a Higher Technician in Ophthalmology) and the high cost of optical corrections, making them inaccessible for most of the population.
These are the reasons why the project was launched, an optician with affordable prices to provide access to the community and raise awareness about the importance of healthy visual health.
Empowerment of women is also part of this project.
In early 2021, the doors of the Santa Yalla optics were opened, managed by the women’s platform of the Santa Yalla Regional Union. Managing to sell 550 prescription glasses.
During 2022, the optics has been open and providing access to the entire Senegalese community.
A total of 619 prescription glasses have been sold.
In December 2022, a delegation formed by Olga Morales, Solidarity technician from the Viladecans City Council, and the director of the Etnia Barcelona Foundation, traveled to Ziguinchor to visit and monitor the operation of the current Santa Yalla optics, but also, they traveled to meet the new counterpart of the new solidarity optics.
We did the following:
We met with the new counterpart UNION DES GROUPEMENTS DE FEMMES DE SEDHIOU. We got to know the space where the new solidarity optical shop will be located. We met the team of women who wish to participate and manage the new shop. We familiarized ourselves with the population of Sedhiou.
The visit was a success, and we began working on the following:
Commencing the rehabilitation of the new space during 2023. Organizing training sessions for the team of women of the new optical shop. Coordinating with the team of the Santa Yalla optical shop on how the training sessions will be conducted, which initially will take place at the Santa Yalla headquarters. The Santa Yalla team will handle all the setups for the new optical shop, as they have a workshop prepared for these setups. And they are already trained to do so.
Also, during 2022, we continued with the training of the team from 4 Santa Yalla, focusing on the workshop and progressive setups to:
Train 4 people from the workshop in: Mounting progressive glasses. Lens cutting.
We carried out awareness and communication campaigns on visual health and have edited graphic materials.
The objective of the expedition was also to close and conclude the support stage for the Santa Yalla optical shop that we carried out for two years, which consisted of:
Financing the four salaries of the optical shop team. Financing the expenses generated by the optical shop. Financing the continuous training of the team. Financing all the stocked lenses. Financing trips to Sedhiou for meetings and encounters with the new counterpart.
Starting from 2023, we will have a sustainably functioning optical shop and a second one in operation.
Achieved results:
Through these campaigns, the results are very positive with an increase in frame sales.
25% increase in sales. Familiarization with the new counterpart UNION DES GROUPEMENTS DE FEMMES DE SEDHIOU. Launch of the second solidarity optical shop in Sedhiou. Promotion of the Santa Yalla optical shop. Foot traffic to the store.
The Solidarity Optics project, with the participation of the Santa Yalla Women’s Platform, has an initial earmarked funding from the Etnia Barcelona Foundation, the Viladecans City Council, the Terrassa City Council, the Gavà City Council, the Esplugues City Council, and the Sant Boi City Council, which guarantees viability and operation.
The financial contributions received to finance this project have been as follows, through the Municipalities and the Catalan Fund for Development Cooperation:
Viladecans City Council: €6,000 Gavà City Council: €2,272.73 Esplugues City Council: €5,454.55 El Prat City Council: €4,454.55
LESBOS PROJECT
During the year 2022, we collaborated with the Light without Borders foundation by sending 275 prescription glasses to people in refugee camps in Greece who were examined by the aforementioned foundation in the refugee camps.
We also donated 69 sunglasses.
PROJECT MY ROOM OF SAN JUAN DE DIOS HOSPITAL
We joined this emotional project in 2022 by making a donation of 5,000 euros so that the #LittleBrave ones hospitalized in ‘room 656’ can enjoy activities such as music, art, and assisted interventions with dogs or clowns for a year.
OPTICIANS WITH YOU PROJECT
We continue with the Opticians With You project: a solidarity project aimed at helping all those people who have seen their economic capacity reduced due to the Covid19 crisis.
The aim of this project is for the optician to identify people or families in their community who are experiencing economic difficulties and need to improve their visual health.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many families will temporarily experience a difficult situation.
This is the origin of the “Opticians With You” project, with the aim of reaching those families who are not part of the social service circuits and who are in need.
The Etnia Barcelona Foundation and the optician will jointly provide prescription glasses to people who need them and are experiencing economic difficulties.
The Etnia Barcelona Foundation will provide a package specially designed for this program consisting of nine frames, nine cases, nine cloths, an adhesive, a poster for the optician to deliver prescription glasses to the final beneficiary, assuming the cost of the service and the prescribed lenses.
DURING 2022 WE HAVE A TOTAL OF 185 OPTICIANS PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM
- 30 OPTICIANS WITH THE DONATION OF THE PACKAGES
Donations of Frames to Other Organizations
The foundation also makes donations to different organizations working on projects similar to ours.
- Open Your Eyes: donation of 270 frames.
- Von’s Vision: donation of 2926 frames.
- Lombok Eye Care: donation of 200 frames.
- Querer Foundation: donation of 7 prescription glasses.
- Teresa Gallifa Foundation: donation of 10 prescription glasses.