FRANCOIS DE BRUYN
As students, we all have our specific method of studying, some of us listen to recorded class notes, watch videos, buy and read notes or, as exam pressure mounts, resort to a healthy combination of “all of the above”.
One thing is certain: the more senses we incorporate in our studies, the better prepared we tend to be. During a recent monthly FLY@UP activation session, Specsavers Hatfield provided free eye screenings to students and referrals to their Hatfield practice for a full examination should the optometrists have identified the need. After the event, Hendri Buys, from Specsavers Hatfield, commented on the number of students; “who appeared to have less than 70% vision”. Furthermore, alarmingly, Hestie Muller, an optometrist from Specsavers Hillcrest, noted that many students “have never even had an eye exam before”. That is why the partnership between FLY@ UP and Specsavers has become pivotal in providing over 90 students with quality and affordable eyecare within the last two years.
…many students “have never even had an eye exam before”
FLY@UP pride themselves in fulfilling their mandate of addressing the students as stakeholders on the journey to obtaining a degree. It is in this spirit that FLY@UP approached Specsavers Hatfield, who agreed to provide affordable access to eyewear as well as to quality value-added services, which included insurance on polarised films that prevented eye fatigue due to screen glare. Following suit this year, Specsavers Hillcrest opened a mobile clinic providing the same services on the Groenkloof and Onderstepoort campuses of the university.
The efforts of the partnership were evident, Hestie Muller explained that Specsavers Hatfield supplied 75 pairs of glasses for students in Hatfield. Hillcrest practice gave 13 pairs to Groenkloof and 15 to Onderstepoort campus students respectively. Due to this successful collaboration, many students were left better prepared to face the academic and social rigours of university life, with many students expressing their gratitude towards FLY@UP – who generously paid for all the pairs of glasses at the reduced rate given to them by Specsavers. Student feedback was positive with compliments of “I can now focus on my studies without worrying about painful eyes or blurry vision” and “getting glasses means being able to study more effectively”.
