General News
22 June, 2023
Recycle for Sight drive
THE Rotary and Lions Clubs in Camperdown have joined forces to collect glasses for the Lions Recycle for Sight program.
THE Rotary and Lions Clubs in Camperdown have joined forces to collect glasses for the Lions Recycle for Sight program.
The program, involving Lions clubs worldwide, refurbishes used glasses for people in rural areas of poorer countries.
The Australian section of the program has been running for 26 years, recycling seven million pairs of glasses from their Queensland headquarters.
Camperdown Lions Club member Bill Duncanson said long-term prisoners in Queensland have been qualified to refurbish glasses, giving them a means to contribute to society while in the corrections system.
“Glasses are then distributed where needed,” he said.
“Some of them end up in Cambodia, some in Timor-Leste, some in the Pacific Islands.
“There are little tribes in some of those countries where river boat captains will go up there and leave glasses with them, and then pick up the ones they don’t want the next day on the way back.”
Camperdown Rotary Club secretary Graeme Fischer said a member of the End Trachoma program visited one of the prisons, learning they refurbish 10,000 pairs of glasses a month.
“It’s quite staggering when you think about it,” he said.
Mr Duncanson said the seven million glasses refurbished over the program’s 26 years began slowly but has sped up with the increase in people wearing glasses.
“Back then, no-one thought there was anything wrong with their eyes,” he said.
“Nowadays, people get their eyes checked every two years, so there’s lots of people changing their glasses as they need to.”
Mr Fischer said the two clubs have collected 550 pairs of glasses from the Rotary District Conference, with other Rotary clubs since reaching out.
“I’ve also collected them from the Rotary markets,” he said.
“People have been coming to the market and dropping them off at the Rotary stall there.
“We gave around 200 pairs last year, so it’s significantly more.
“It’s because we’ve advertised it more in the Rotary district.”
Glasses can be donated at the Rotary Club stall at the monthly Camperdown Rotary market, where used stamps, hearing aids and bottle tops are also welcomed.
Additionally, glasses can be directly given to the Lions Club.