PONO YAME PROGRAMME BECOMES A GOVERNMENT PRIORITY
Sophie, Countess of Wessex senior member of the British family visits Molefe Primary school as part of the Pono Yame Programme
Pono Yame programme screens school children for eyesight problems and takes those diagnosed to appropriate eye health services.
President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi, who hosted a senior member of the British royal family, Sophie, Countess of Wessex said government, identified schoolchildren with vision challenges and offered them assistance with full government support.
Dr Masisi said the two ministries played a role in the process of early detection and intervention which would help Botswana attain the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
“I saw the huge involvement in the utilisation of the latest technology to screen and detect eyesight problems and to offer solutions thereof including tracking the treatment offered and its impact. I heard a young lady speak movingly about how the programme has been of benefit, and after the initial investment, we believe over time it will be heavily impactful,” said Countess Sophie.
The countess, who is the wife of Prince Edward, younger brother to King Charles III., said she would report back to her brother-in-law about her Botswana experience and the programme’s success.
