PHILIPSBURG:--- On Friday 22nd October 2021, MP Ludmila Duncan launched her first annual Project: Hope in Sight. The initiative offers free prescription eyewear to children 16 and under whose families may be vulnerable, or cannot afford, to purchase glasses.
“I started wearing glasses at 12. I can remember sitting at the bus stop in front of the Academy with my friends when they pointed to someone down the road. It felt sudden, but I realized only at that moment that my vision was blurred. The next day in school, I struggled to see the chalkboard from the back of the class. I remember feeling embarrassed about it,” recalled the MP.
Prescription eyewear on St. Maarten is known to be quite expensive. “I want to help those children who need it. There’s a saying that goes; if we share the same world, we should share the same vision. When my parents bought me my first pair of glasses, I didn’t think about how much they cost. Now I am quite aware of how lucky I was to get them," noted Duncan.
“There are children in our society struggling with vision impairment and losing the fight against preventable eye diseases because their families can't afford the necessary eyewear. If they can’t see, how can they learn? Project: Hope in Sight offers a helping hand,” concluded the MP.
Interested persons are asked to send an e-mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with a short bio of the child; name, age and contact info of a parent before October 30th, 2021.
