The LumoHawk Foundation, Joel Stransky’s foundation, partnered with the Anna Foundation during the Absa Cape Epic as part of Vision 2020, and tested nearly 100 children’s eyesight along the famous route.
“It is estimated that around 20% of children in South Africa have eye problems which can have a huge impact on a child’s education. Vision 2020 involves testing the eyes of underprivileged children and supplying bespoke spectacles where necessary,” said Stransky from the Cape Epic route, where he was competing for the 10th time.
Students from the Optometry Faculty at Wits University will do the eye testing this year and Focus Optical will provide spectacles for those children who need them.
“The LumoHawk Foundation’s focus has always been around education and Vision 2020 will play a major role in ensuring that more of our future leaders receive a full education and are able to live up to their dreams,” he said.
Stransky added they will be recording the children’s current academic average and the hope is to return to the same places next year and once again record the marks of the kids in order to see
what impact has been made.
Children from the Anna Foundation, an official beneficiary of the Absa Cape Epic, had their eyes tested during the race last week.
“Eye sight plays such an important part in a child being able to perform academically and being part of Vision 2020 will benefit all children that are part of the Anna Foundation.
“If a child is diagnosed as having issues with their sight and can wear glasses, their life will radically improve,” said Anna Brom, founder of the Anna Foundation.
Brom’s all-encompassing holistic approach to building a solid community of support around the child has proven success over the past 14 years.
“I’m so pleased that the LumoHawk Foundation will be benchmarking academic improvement annually, as this fits with our philosophy that measurement is important.
“Over a five-year period, our literacy results on rural farms in the Western Cape show between a 20% – 40% improvement,” said Brom.
To increase awareness for the project, every rider taking part in the Absa Cape Epic was gifted a pink Absa Pride cycling jersey by Absa. Riders wore these jersey’s to show their support for the initiative on Wednesday during the race.
To raise funds for Vision 2020, Stransky took on the 1 000km.
He will be riding the Epic, Iron Man, Two Oceans Ultra, Comrades and the Freedom Swim – all back to back in order to raise awareness around this cause.
Anna Foundation is an organisation committed to providing Reading, Running and Right-ing (their 3’R’s Programme) to rural farming communities in the Western Cape. Focused on the long-term impact on children’s life, the organisation offers well- designed holistic after-school programmes including education, sport and life skills.
