On Saturday, November 1st, 2025, a very special event took place. With the support of the Dahlstromska Foundation, VCDS organized an Eye and Ear Camp aimed at testing the vision and hearing of children from its non-formal schools who might be facing difficulties in these areas.
In the weeks leading up to the event, teachers from the various schools identified children showing signs of visual or auditory problems. On the day of the camp, all of them gathered at the Karasanur centre, where doctors had set up medical equipment to carry out the examinations. For vision testing, the doctors first assessed each child’s eyesight using a specialized machine, followed by a distance reading test. Corrective lenses were then tried to determine the appropriate prescription, and the children were able to test different pairs of glasses. For hearing, doctors played a range of sounds to evaluate each child’s auditory capacity and experimented with different hearing devices to find the best solutions. Once all the children had been examined, VCDS also took the opportunity to offer vision tests to teachers and staff members.
In total, 52 children and adults were able to have their vision checked, and 22 children underwent hearing tests. After the tests 35 children with visual impairment and 7 children with permanent hearing impairment were identified. All the children received medical prescriptions, ranging from wearing glasses to using hearing aids or undergoing eye surgery. VCDS has the financial capacity to provide the glasses and hearing devices, but potential surgeries will require additional funding.
The Eye and Ear Camp made it possible to assess the vision and hearing of many more children than initially expected. Most of them left with direct solutions. Glasses are expected to be delivered within a few weeks. These interventions will have a lasting positive impact on the children’s daily life and education. VCDS is deeply grateful to the Dahlstromska Foundation for making this opportunity possible, to the doctors for their dedicated work, and to every member of VCDS who helped organize and ensure the smooth running of the event.
