More than 600 cocoa farmers from 17 communities in the Ajumako-Eyan-Essiam (AEE) District of the Central Region have benefited from a free eye screening exercise.

Of the number, about 63 per cent were provided with glasses, many of whom were wearing it for the first time.

The two-day exercise, dubbed; “Clear Vision Workplaces,” was organised by VisionSpring, an international not-for-profit organisation.

It focused on members of the Ghana Cocoa, Coffee and Shea Nut Farmers Association (COCOSHE) and their dependants.

Dr Collins Asomani, VisionSpring’s Optical Technical Advisor, said the exercise was carried out to help address the eye care needs of cocoa farmers.

He referred to the Ghana Blindness and Visual Impairment survey, which showed that 95 per cent of Ghanaians who needed eyeglasses did not have them due to affordability, hence the staggering statistics.

To solve this problem, Dr Collins said VisionSpring had since 2015 provided over 53,000 pairs of radically affordable, durable, and attractive eyeglasses to Ghana’s hospitals, eye clinics, and other organisations as part of its wholesale programme.

He called on government and key stakeholders in the cocoa industry to invest in creating access to eyeglasses for cocoa farmers.

Mr John Kwame Donkoh, COCOSHE’s District Chief Farmer, thanked the organisation for its vision to reach out to all cocoa farmers with such an initiative.

He noted that since cocoa products were Ghana’s most important export products, improving farmer productivity was key to economic growth.

He advised them to religiously adhere to the advice given them and take proper care of their eyes to enable them to go about their normal duties effectively.

Most of the participants who received eyeglasses shared stories of how they had to endure years of struggling with blurred vision to carry out simple tasks such as threading a needle, sorting cocoa fruits for ripeness, or cutting their nails.

Others said they had given up their trade due to blurred vision yet all they needed was a simple pair of reading glasses.

Madam Akua Agyirwa, an elated beneficiary, said the intervention had brought immense relief to her and scores of cocoa farmers in the area and called for more support.