GoodVision USA Starts New Year in Liberia by Training Local Technicians
To further our work in Liberia, West Africa, 15 new GoodVisionTechnicians (GVTs) were trained and certified at the beginning of this year. What made the week-long session even more inspiring, was the dedication of Samuel Richards, GoodVision Malawi’s Optical Quality Assurance Officer. He accepted the challenge to make the arduous journey from across the African continent from Malawi to Liberia, which was made even more complicated due to the COVID pandemic. Together with local staff; Jim Suah, Project Director and Matee Morris, Assistant Trainer and ophthalmic nurse, Samuel delivered a comprehensive training program for 15 new and five current technicians who were being re-certified.
The new GVTs (21 to 32 years old) learned to conduct eye tests both within the clinic and in remote villages. The four-week, classroom-based portion of the overall four-month training is the first part of GoodVision International’s comprehensive curriculum called “Best Spherical Correction Training.” We are thrilled that all of the attendees passed the final exams and were given official certification which will allow them to prescribe and adjust GoodVision glasses once the training is completed. The certificate is valid for one year, as all GVTs are required to be retrained every year, to stay connected with mentors, trainers and colleagues and to keep up to date with new manufacturing techniques.
The newest wave of certified technicians will begin their work primarily in and around Monrovia, the capital of Liberia. They will provide thousands of Liberians with free eye tests, screening for basic eye diseases, and will dispense GoodVision glasses to a population that currently only has limited access to adequate eye care.
