The Eastern Cape Department of Education held a Delivery of Spectacles to deserving learners in Middledrift, Amathole West Education District.

The partnership between the ECDoE and the Mensana Mobile Health Bus programme forms part of the government's plan to ensure that learners have equal access to quality public education irrespective of their condition.

These 400 identified beneficiaries were identified through 10 school visits to provide preventative health care to these learners.

Giving the background and purpose of the programme was the ECDoE Schools Health Coordinator, Dr. Sherly Besman saying, "Today we are here to restore learners’ dignity by delivering Spectacles to the beneficiaries, we as the Department believe that all learners have a right to education."

Speaking on behalf of the ECDoE Provincial Office was the School Health Safety and Enrichment Deputy Chief Education Specialist, Pamela Vena who said, "The provision of the basket of health services to learners is a very crucial intervention.  It assists in identifying health barriers that have a negative impact in our learner's progression and retention within the education system.  

Therefore, learners who received their spectacles will be able to see properly and improve their self-esteem and sense of self-awareness."

Also commenting on the Delivery of Spectacles to learners was the ECDoE Deputy Chief Education Specialist, Lindelwa Mancunga. 

She said, "This was a good initiative done by the Department, because this is what we call Service delivery especially delivery to the vulnerable and needy learners, therefore, Teaching and Learning can never be effective if learners are not supported and cared for by addressing the barriers."

Lindelwa added by saying, "This can be done better by strengthening collaboration, integration of programmes within the department, sister departments we can achieve more because we would share resources so that we support more vulnerable learners and improve academic performance."

Speaking on behalf of the learners was the Dikidikana Primary School learner Amyoli Ntentile (14) who said, "I am very honoured to be one of the learners benefiting from the programme as this will make me able to see properly and hope that the department will bring more of these types of interventions, more specially in the rural areas for needy learners.