Lolu hlelo oluxhaswe yiTelkom Foundation luhlinzeke abafundi abangaphezu kuka-800 ngezinsiza zokuhlolwa kwamehlo nezindlebe, ngenhloso yokuthuthukisa impilo yabo nokubasiza ukuba bafunde ngaphandle kwezithiyo ezidalwa yizinkinga zokungaboni nokungezwa kahle.
SHEILA MHLONGO
KWAZULU-NATAL: I-Telkom Foundation, ngokubambisana ne-Air Mercy Service (AMS), igubhe iNyanga Yokuqwashisa Ngempilo Yamehlo Emhlabeni (World Sight Month) ngokuhlinzeka abafundi basezikoleni ezimbili KwaZulu-Natal ngezinsiza zokuhlolwa kwamehlo nezindlebe.
Lolu hlelo luhlose ukuqinisekisa ukuthi bonke abafundi bathola amathuba alinganayo okufunda nokuthuthukisa amakhono abo, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi bahlala ezindaweni zasemakhaya noma emiphakathini entula izinsiza zezempilo.
Izingane eziningi ezihlala ezindaweni zasemakhaya zibhekana nezinkinga zokungaboni kahle noma zokungezwa kahle ezingakahlonzwa. Lezi zinkinga zingaba nomthelela omkhulu ekufundeni, ekuzethembeni, ekuxhumaneni nabanye nasekuphumeleleni ezifundweni.
Ngokubona ukubaluleka kokuxhumanisa ezempilo nezemfundo, iTelkom Foundation ne-AMS bahlanganyele ekuletheni izinsiza zezempilo ezikoleni ukuze abafundi bakwazi ukuthola usizo kusenesikhathi.
Lolu hlelo luqhutshwe e-Ekuthukuzeni Primary School, eManguzi, kanye nase-Sacred Heart Secondary School, eVerulam, lapho kuhlolwe khona abafundi abangaphezu kuka-800.
Ithimba lochwepheshe bezempilo abangaphezu kuka-45 lenze ukuhlolwa kwamehlo nezindlebe okungaphezu kuka-2 400. Lolu hlelo luphinde lwafinyelela kothisha nakubasebenzi abasekela ukusebenza kwezikole.
Abafundi abangaphezu kuka-200 bazothola izibuko zamehlo
Ukuhlolwa kuveze ukuthi abafundi abangaphezu kuka-200 badinga izibuko zamehlo ezibhalwe ngochwepheshe bezempilo ukuze bakwazi ukubona kahle.
Laba bafundi bazohlinzekwa ngezibuko njengengxenye yalolu hlelo, ukuze bancishiselwe izinkinga zokungaboni kahle ezingaphazamisa ukufunda nokuthuthuka kwabo.
Ngaphezu kwalokho, abafundi abangu-96 badluliselwe kochwepheshe ukuze baphinde bahlolwe amehlo ngokujulile.
Ithimba le-African Eye Institute (AEI), elibambe iqhaza kulolu hlelo, lihlonze abafundi abanezinkinga zamehlo ezidinga ukunakekelwa okuphuthumayo.
Phakathi kwezifo ezitholakele kubalwa:
- I-Glaucoma: Isifo samehlo esingalimaza umthambo wokubona, okungaholela ekulahlekelweni ukubona uma singelashwa.
- I-Keratoconus: Isimo lapho ingxenye yangaphambili yeso, ebizwa nge-cornea, ishintsha ukuma, okubangela ukungaboni kahle.
- I-Nystagmus: Isimo lapho amehlo enyakaza khona ngokungazikhetheli, okungaphazamisa ukubona kahle.
Abafundi abatholakale benezinkinga ezidinga ukunakekelwa okwengeziwe badluliselwe ezikhungweni zikahulumeni zezempilo yamehlo eziseduze nabo ukuze bathole ukwelashwa nokulandelelwa.
Abanye abafundi abanezifo ezahlukene zamehlo nabo badluliselwe ezikhungweni zezempilo ukuze bathole usizo olufanele.
Lokhu kukhombisa ukubaluleka kokuhlonza izinkinga zamehlo zisencane ukuze kuvikelwe impilo yabafundi futhi kuthuthukiswe amathuba abo okuphumelela esikoleni.
Bangaphezu kuka-100 abafundi abadinga ukuhlolwa kwezindlebe ngokujulile
Ukuhlolwa kwezindlebe nakho kuveze ukuthi kunabafundi abadinga usizo olwengeziwe.
Bangaphezu kuka-100 abafundi abadluliselwe kochwepheshe bokuzwa, ababizwa ngama-audiologists, ukuze bahlolwe ngokujulile.
Ukungezwa kahle kungaba nomthelela omkhulu ekutheni umfundi akwazi ukulalela uthisha, ukuqonda okufundiswayo, ukuxhumana nabanye nokubamba iqhaza ezifundweni.
Ngakho-ke, ukuhambisa izinsiza zokuhlolwa kwezindlebe ezikoleni kubalulekile, ikakhulukazi emiphakathini lapho kunzima khona ukufinyelela kochwepheshe bezempilo.
I-Telkom Foundation igcizelela ukubaluleka kwamathuba alinganayo
Inhloko yeTelkom Foundation, uJudy Vilakazi, ithe inhloso yalolu hlelo ukuqinisekisa ukuthi izingane aziphucwa amathuba okufunda ngenxa yezinkinga zezempilo ezingatholakala futhi zelashwe kusenesikhathi.
“Sikholelwa ukuthi ukufakwa kwawo wonke umuntu emphakathini kuqala ngokuqinisekisa ukuthi yonke ingane ithola ithuba elifanele lokufunda, lokubamba iqhaza nokufeza amaphupho ayo.
“Ukubona nokuzwa kahle kuyizisekelo ezibalulekile zokuphumelela kwezemfundo, ukuzethemba kanye nokuthola amathuba angcono esikhathini esizayo.
“Ngokubambisana ne-AMS, sisiza ukususa izithiyo ezingavimbela abafundi ukuba babambe iqhaza ngokugcwele emakilasini. Siphinde sifake isandla ekwakheni imiphakathi lapho zonke izingane zithola khona amathuba alinganayo,” kusho uVilakazi.
I-AMS iletha izinsiza zezempilo emiphakathini
I-Air Mercy Service (AMS), ngohlelo lwayo lwe-Flying Doctor Outreach Service, isinesipiliyoni esikhulu sokuhambisa izinsiza zezempilo emiphakathini eqhelelene nezibhedlela nezikhungo zezempilo.
Uxhaso lweTelkom Foundation selwenze ukuthi lezi zinsiza zifinyelele nasezikoleni, lapho abafundi behlolwa khona bese bedluliselwa kochwepheshe uma kudingeka ukwelashwa okwengeziwe.
Umphathi wezokuthuthukiswa kwezinhlelo kwa-AMS, u-Afzal Khan, uthe ukubambisana kwezinhlangano ezahlukene kungaletha ushintsho olukhulu ezimpilweni zabafundi.
“Lolu hlelo lukhombisa ukuthi ukubambisana kwezinhlangano kungasiza kanjani ekwandiseni ukufinyelela ezinsizeni zezempilo nokwenza umehluko obonakalayo ezimpilweni zabafundi.
“Ngokuletha izinsiza zokuhlolwa kwamehlo nezindlebe ezikoleni, siyakwazi ukuhlonza izinkinga kusenesikhathi futhi sisize abafundi bathole ukunakekelwa abakudingayo.
“Ngokusebenzisana, sakha uhlelo lokweseka impilo yabafundi nokwenza kube lula ukuthi baphumelele ezifundweni zabo,” kusho uKhan.
Ukubambisana kwezinhlangano kuqinisa ezemfundo nezempilo
Lolu hlelo lwenziwe lwaba yimpumelelo ngokubambisana kweTelkom Foundation, i-Air Mercy Service, i-African Eye Institute, ochwepheshe bokuzwa kanye neNyuvesi yaKwaZulu-Natal (UKZN).
Lezi zinhlangano zihlanganise amakhono nezinsiza zazo ukuze abafundi bathole ukuhlolwa, ukwelulekwa, ukudluliselwa kochwepheshe kanye nosizo lwezempilo oludingekayo.
Ngaphandle kokuhlinzeka ngezinsiza zezempilo, lolu hlelo luhlose nokuthuthukisa ukubamba iqhaza kwabafundi emakilasini, impilo yabo kanye namathuba abo okuphumelela esikhathini esizayo.
Abahleli balolu hlelo bakholelwa ukuthi uma izingane zikwazi ukubona nokuzwa kahle, ziba namathuba angcono okuqonda okufundiswayo, ukuxhumana nothisha kanye nokufeza amaphupho azo.
Umyalezo omkhulu walolu hlelo uthi: Ukubona kahle, ukuzwa kahle nokufunda kahle kuyisisekelo sekusasa eliqhakazile labantwana.
Umthombo: Telkom Foundation / Air Mercy Service (AMS)
