Welwyn optician to help the poor in Ethiopia

AN optician is jetting off to Ethiopia to help deliver spectacles to some of the country's poorest people. Graham Farrow, who works at Dollond & Aitchison in WGC, will be flying out to Addis Ababa on October 17, alongside eight other

AN optician is jetting off to Ethiopia to help deliver spectacles to some of the country's poorest people.

Graham Farrow, who works at Dollond & Aitchison in WGC, will be flying out to Addis Ababa on October 17, alongside eight other dispensing opticians from across the UK.

Upon arrival in the capital, the team will decamp to the city of Awassa, from which they will head out to local villages to provide sight tests and donated spectacles to hundreds of people.

Ethiopia currently has just six qualified optometrists, a fact that is not lost on Graham.

The 32-year-old described his mission as "very important" and said: "Hundreds of Ethiopians come from miles around for this service - you can imagine how many people are walking around virtually blind where all they need is some specs."

Graham, of Marlborough Close, Oaklands, said he expected to test some 200 people a day.

"It is going to be hard work," he said.

"It is going to be early starts and late finishes."

But despite this, Graham admitted he can't wait to start work.

"I have never done anything like this before, but I am looking forward to it," he said.

Work colleague Hayley Theed said everyone at the Howardsgate branch was behind Graham's mission.

"It is going to help so may people," she smiled.

The expedition is being organised by Vision Aid Overseas, a UK charity dedicated to helping people in the developing world whose lives are blighted by poor eye sight.

For more information about the charity, visit www.vao.org.uk