Rotary District 6110 Vision Quest India 2009

6110 Vision Quest and Vision Quest to India
By: Bob Hawk, Iola Rotary Club, Iola, Kansas

Vision knows no geopolitical boundaries. To be able to function at daily tasks one must be able to see. This problem isn't unique to any particular population group, it affects all of us around the world. Additionally, for most people once they reach 40 – 45 the problem of seeing becomes greater as our eyes age and our ability to focus deteriorates. We need glasses to see things near to us with this condition being referred to as far sightedness. Those that are near sighted are just the opposite and in the position of having to remove their glasses to see up close. Statistics indicate that 60 percent or slightly more of persons with vision needs can be helped with glasses that magnify or “reading glasses”. Even if you are unable to read you will still need to see in doing up close tasks such as threading a needle, baiting a fish hook, or removing a splinter from your finger. In many parts of the world these glasses are not available, therefore quality of life suffers.

Photos of the recent Vision Quest. Also see Vision Quest Website

Our project, 6110 Vision Quest, is a project of the Rotary Club of Iola, Kansas and Rotary District 6110 in the center of the United States. This project, developed by a missionary in the state of Florida who is allowing Rotary to use it as a humanitarian project, brings the ability to fabricate very inexpensive reading glasses to people in developing countries. Normally Vision Quest comes in a carton or kit weighing 26 pounds (11.8 kg.) containing all instructions, materials, tools, and testing devices to make 314 pair of reading glasses for a cost of less than 45 cents US per pair. The materials consist of stainless steel wire, similar to a bicycle spoke, plastic lenses of different magnification, and plastic tubing to put on the ear pieces for protecting the ears. A pair of glasses can be made using these very basic hand tools in 20 minutes or less. They look quite nice and are very durable. Probably the most important factor of this project is that it puts the ability to improve vision needs in the hands of the people with needs. With the exception of needing resupply of glasses materials, there is no direct outside involvement required. It is perfect as a micro business so persons in developing countries can use the project as a supplemental income source and improve the quality of vision at the same time.

In June 2009 my wife, Ginny, and I traveled to England to attend the 100th international convention of Rotary International. Because of the cost of shipping the kits internationally is so great we made no attempt to showcase the Vision Quest project at the convention. Normally kits to go abroad are taken by Rotarians traveling as part of their checked luggage. I did however take a few pairs of glasses and some brochures to show to people that might be interested. One conversation was with Rotarians from two clubs in England and Rotarians from Kolkata, India about our project. Specifically I spoke with Michael Ratcliffe from RC Cheltenham, England, Dr. Samar Das, an ophthalmologist from RC Guildford, England, Binod Khaitan, RC Calcutta Central, Kolkata, India, and Dr. Aruna Tantia from RC Salt Lake Metropolitan , Kolkata India. These Rotarians upon being shown the glasses were very excited and quickly recognized their potential. Michael Ratcliffe immediately said “you must go to India to train people to make the spectacles and duplicate the project there”. After some additional discussions and looking at schedules and calendars it was decided I should travel to Kolkata in November to train selected persons and with the venue for training there to be Rotary eye hospitals near Kolkata. The persons to be trained would be preselected by the local Rotarians and would receive training in making the glasses with the goal of replicating the project within India.

Rotary District 6110 PDG Dr. Ellis Potter, a long time friend, and optometrist from Iola, Kansas has been involved with humanitarian vision needs through Rotary for over ten years, so I invited him to accompany me on the trip. Additionally I decided this would be a tremendous “first trip abroad” for my grandson, Chase Vaughn from Iola, Kansas and made plans for him to accompany me as well. On November 15th we left on the very long trip it is from Kansas to Kolkata, but what a rewarding experience it turned out to be.

My grandson and I were hosted by Past President Binod Khaitan in his home and Ellis Potter was hosted by PDG K. Chandramohan and his wife President Vijaya of the Budge Budge RC. We could not have asked for better hosts, they were wonderful.
My host, Binod, had put together a schedule for us to do training in six Rotary eye hospitals and one community center. Fortunately he had also planned time for us to rest, because after the long trip we were pretty tired. Also plans had been made that would allow us to attend some Rotary meetings and demonstrate the process of making the reading glasses.

The training and demonstration sessions were conducted as planned and in these sessions we trained approximately 70 persons. The ultimate goal of this effort was to have virtually all materials and tools needed to come from within India, thereby eliminating most transportation costs and customs fees.

The success of this project in India will be determined over the course of the next few months as the local Rotarians develop sources for all required items and develop the plan to spread the project. The Rotarians are certainly aware that costs, marketing, demand creation, and local awareness all need to be taken into account, but without doubt they have the knowledge and expertise needed to make the project successful. They are hard working, ingenious, enthusiastic, well connected, and resourceful. I am very confident they will succeed and when they do, the implications for the rest of Asia and Africa are huge. Because of their geographical location and proximity to other areas with need in the region the future potential for bringing improved vision to these areas is tremendous.
As I mentioned earlier, we went to India to teach, BUT in the process we learned more than we could ever have imagined. I knew India was a huge emerging nation and would likely have great contrasts and great needs. That was quickly shown to be the case. Many people are in need of basic services like, potable water, basic health care, basic sanitation, ecologically sound energy sources, vocational training, good roads, and education however the people we saw in India were incredibly industrious and enterprising.

The part of the trip that brought the greatest amazement to me, and I guess it shouldn't have, was the incredible wide and varied extent of the work being done by Rotary clubs in India. I could not even begin to count the number of times we said “Wow” in response to seeing what was being accomplished. These projects ranged from Rotary eye hospitals performing thousands of cataract surgeries annually for free, vocational training classes, funding of tube wells for potable water, micro loans on van rickshaws, dental clinics, and the list goes on. One that really amazed me was a project funded by Rotary making prosthetic limbs for amputees. This project started 25 years ago in one room and now is in a multiple story building. Not only do the amputees receive the prosthetic devices, but they receive counseling and follow up care. It was amazing to see.

The Rotarians in India and others are not sitting around waiting for a handout. They can, however, use the hand up that we as Rotarians in other areas of the world can provide. The Rotary Clubs in India are doing so much to improve the lot of so many. Consider partnering with them on a matching grant.

After two exciting and enlightening weeks we returned home hopeful that our trip would prove to be a success. Initial reports received since returning home are very favorable and provide great promise. Using materials left behind by us, the trainees have already begun fabricating glasses and earning income. On December 3rd an order was placed by Rotarians in Kolkata, India for enough lenses to make 10,000 pairs of glasses.

If all Rotary clubs were addressing the needs of their communities and citizens with the effort I saw in India, the world would truly be a different place. The theme of Rotary International President John Kenny 2009-2010 is “The Future of Rotary is in Your Hands”. The Rotarians in India embody this theme and are truly shaping the future of their country with their efforts. Congratulations on this great work!.

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	6110 Vision Quest and Vision Quest to India By: Bob Hawk, Iola Rotary Club, Iola, Kansas Vision knows no geopolitical boundaries. To be able to function at daily tasks one must be able to see. This problem isn't unique to any particular population group, it affects all of us around the world. Additionally, for most people once they reach 40 – 45 the problem of seeing becomes greater as our eyes age and our ability to focus deteriorates. We need glasses to see things near to us with this condition being referred to as far sightedness. Those that are near sighted are just the opposite and in the position of having to remove their glasses to see up close. Statistics indicate that 60 percent or slightly more of persons with vision needs can be helped with glasses that magnify or “reading glasses”. Even if you are unable to read you will still need to see in doing up close tasks such as threading a needle, baiting a fish hook, or removing a splinter from your finger. In many parts of the world these glasses are not available, therefore quality of life suffers. Photos of the recent Vision Quest. Also see Vision Quest Website Our project, 6110 Vision Quest, is a project of the Rotary Club of Iola, Kansas and Rotary District 6110 in the center of the United States. This project, developed by a missionary in the state of Florida who is allowing Rotary to use it as a humanitarian project, brings the ability to fabricate very inexpensive reading glasses to people in developing countries. Normally Vision Quest comes in a carton or kit weighing 26 pounds (11.8 kg.) containing all instructions, materials, tools, and testing devices to make 314 pair of reading glasses for a cost of less than 45 cents US per pair. The materials consist of stainless steel wire, similar to a bicycle spoke, plastic lenses of different magnification, and plastic tubing to put on the ear pieces for protecting the ears. A pair of glasses can be made using these very basic hand tools in 20 minutes or less. They look quite nice and are very durable. Probably the most important factor of this project is that it puts the ability to improve vision needs in the hands of the people with needs. With the exception of needing resupply of glasses materials, there is no direct outside involvement required. It is perfect as a micro business so persons in developing countries can use the project as a supplemental income source and improve the quality of vision at the same time. In June 2009 my wife, Ginny, and I traveled to England to attend the 100th international convention of Rotary International. Because of the cost of shipping the kits internationally is so great we made no attempt to showcase the Vision Quest project at the convention. Normally kits to go abroad are taken by Rotarians traveling as part of their checked luggage. I did however take a few pairs of glasses and some brochures to show to people that might be interested. One conversation was with Rotarians from two clubs in England and Rotarians from Kolkata, India about our project. Specifically I spoke with Michael Ratcliffe from RC Cheltenham, England, Dr. Samar Das, an ophthalmologist from RC Guildford, England, Binod Khaitan, RC Calcutta Central, Kolkata, India, and Dr. Aruna Tantia from RC Salt Lake Metropolitan , Kolkata India. These Rotarians upon being shown the glasses were very excited and quickly recognized their potential. Michael Ratcliffe immediately said “you must go to India to train people to make the spectacles and duplicate the project there”. After some additional discussions and looking at schedules and calendars it was decided I should travel to Kolkata in November to train selected persons and with the venue for training there to be Rotary eye hospitals near Kolkata. The persons to be trained would be preselected by the local Rotarians and would receive training in making the glasses with the goal of replicating the project within India. Rotary District 6110 PDG Dr. Ellis Potter, a long time friend, and optometrist from Iola, Kansas has been involved with humanitarian vision needs through Rotary for over ten years, so I invited him to accompany me on the trip. Additionally I decided this would be a tremendous “first trip abroad” for my grandson, Chase Vaughn from Iola, Kansas and made plans for him to accompany me as well. On November 15th we left on the very long trip it is from Kansas to Kolkata, but what a rewarding experience it turned out to be. My grandson and I were hosted by Past President Binod Khaitan in his home and Ellis Potter was hosted by PDG K. Chandramohan and his wife President Vijaya of the Budge Budge RC. We could not have asked for better hosts, they were wonderful. My host, Binod, had put together a schedule for us to do training in six Rotary eye hospitals and one community center. Fortunately he had also planned time for us to rest, because after the long trip we were pretty tired. Also plans had been made that would allow us to attend some Rotary meetings and demonstrate the process of making the reading glasses. The training and demonstration sessions were conducted as planned and in these sessions we trained approximately 70 persons. The ultimate goal of this effort was to have virtually all materials and tools needed to come from within India, thereby eliminating most transportation costs and customs fees. The success of this project in India will be determined over the course of the next few months as the local Rotarians develop sources for all required items and develop the plan to spread the project. The Rotarians are certainly aware that costs, marketing, demand creation, and local awareness all need to be taken into account, but without doubt they have the knowledge and expertise needed to make the project successful. They are hard working, ingenious, enthusiastic, well connected, and resourceful. I am very confident they will succeed and when they do, the implications for the rest of Asia and Africa are huge. Because of their geographical location and proximity to other areas with need in the region the future potential for bringing improved vision to these areas is tremendous. As I mentioned earlier, we went to India to teach, BUT in the process we learned more than we could ever have imagined. I knew India was a huge emerging nation and would likely have great contrasts and great needs. That was quickly shown to be the case. Many people are in need of basic services like, potable water, basic health care, basic sanitation, ecologically sound energy sources, vocational training, good roads, and education however the people we saw in India were incredibly industrious and enterprising. The part of the trip that brought the greatest amazement to me, and I guess it shouldn't have, was the incredible wide and varied extent of the work being done by Rotary clubs in India. I could not even begin to count the number of times we said “Wow” in response to seeing what was being accomplished. These projects ranged from Rotary eye hospitals performing thousands of cataract surgeries annually for free, vocational training classes, funding of tube wells for potable water, micro loans on van rickshaws, dental clinics, and the list goes on. One that really amazed me was a project funded by Rotary making prosthetic limbs for amputees. This project started 25 years ago in one room and now is in a multiple story building. Not only do the amputees receive the prosthetic devices, but they receive counseling and follow up care. It was amazing to see. The Rotarians in India and others are not sitting around waiting for a handout. They can, however, use the hand up that we as Rotarians in other areas of the world can provide. The Rotary Clubs in India are doing so much to improve the lot of so many. Consider partnering with them on a matching grant. After two exciting and enlightening weeks we returned home hopeful that our trip would prove to be a success. Initial reports received since returning home are very favorable and provide great promise. Using materials left behind by us, the trainees have already begun fabricating glasses and earning income. On December 3rd an order was placed by Rotarians in Kolkata, India for enough lenses to make 10,000 pairs of glasses. If all Rotary clubs were addressing the needs of their communities and citizens with the effort I saw in India, the world would truly be a different place. The theme of Rotary International President John Kenny 2009-2010 is “The Future of Rotary is in Your Hands”. The Rotarians in India embody this theme and are truly shaping the future of their country with their efforts. Congratulations on this great work!.


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