AN optician has helped to save the sight of over a thousand people on her latest visit to remote parts of Africa.

In her day job Ruth Perrott is the managing director of VisionCare Optometry in Acomb, but in her own time she has visited Africa 14 times to run free clinics which have helped to restore the sight of thousands of people.

Her latest trip to Malawi alongside fellow optometrist Sarah Dineen, saw the pair assess 1318 patients in four makeshift clinics, dispensing 1051 pairs of glasses.

Ruth and other volunteers drove 1324 kilometres over three days, bumping between rural locations, often on unmade roads.

She said: “Some of the men, especially fishermen and farmers, had particularly poor vision following years of intense UV exposure. They could barely see more than a metre in front of their noses. When your eyesight is that poor, a pair of spectacles is going to have a profound impact. For the most part, reading spectacles were in demand to allow those who are literate to read. Others need to be able to sew or use their mobile phones, which can help secure their livelihood by enabling them to work.”

Her stops took her to a girls’ hostel at Nsaru, the Scripture Union Conference Centre at Chinteche, the Bible College in Mangochi and an Anglican Church in Lilongwe.

Ruth partly funds her own trips, as well as the cost of the accommodation, food and travel for the team.

For the last 26 years she has been supported by Rotary York Ainsty, which collects, washes, measures and sorts donated spectacles. She said: “ Without their valuable support these trips wouldn’t happen. There are also so many friends, patients and organisations that donate spectacles, money and encouragement.”

For more information on Ruth’s trip to Malawi watch the video at http://youtu.be/08dVb8HdmFA