CARROLLTON, Texas—In April 2010, Nouveau Eyewear launched the Bona Bolo (“See the Ball”) screening campaign in an effort to bring healthcare to more than 2,000 children in South Africa. Since its launch, the campaign has gained momentum and brought much needed health care to over 1,450 children. With the goal of screening 2,020 youth by the end of the year, the project is well on its way to making a difference for thousands.

Screening participants who are found to require vision correction receive vouchers for free frames and prescription lenses. Nouveau donates Umbro and Nickelodeon frames and Essilor provides prescription lenses. In addition Bona Bolo is made possible through the help of the South African Optometric Association (SAOA) and Myoptics, the exclusive Umbro and Nickelodeon eyewear distributor in South Africa.

According to Faith Chabedi, former president of the SAOA and the coordinator of Bona Bolo campaign, quality health care in the public sector is still developing and eyecare services are not accessible to all. Nearly 80 percent of the population is currently uninsured and many children live with uncorrected refractive errors and other eye conditions. Campaign leaders are currently working toward holding a fourth event at Bloemfontein in the Free State province.

To date, several very successful events have been held to aid youth in rural and semi-rural areas. The latest screening took place in the rural South African village of Mhinga. Located near the border of Mozambique, over 250 children were seen – most of whom had never had an eye exam before. According to one of the area’s leaders, most of the village’s residents are poor and do not have sufficient money to pay for health services. Ninety children were found to have refractive errors during the event and received free ophthalmic wear donated by Nouveau.

During the most recent screening, the Bona Bolo team received accolades from the eyecare division of the Limpopo Department of health as well as Chief Mhinga, who enabled the arrangement for the screening of school children to be conducted. A representative of the Limpopo department of health was grateful for the project and said, “It is often difficult to get people to come to the clinics when there is health awareness campaign. Bona Bolo has made an outreach to the people, hence the ability to see so many children.”

For more information on the Bona Bolo screenings, please contact Faith Chabedi at 0823304691 or Elena Brugnera Muraro, International marketing at Nouveau Eyewear, at 972-242-3633 ext. 249.