SUU Student Helps Reduce Blindness in Africa
21 January, 2016
Cedar City, Utah
Turner Wilson, a third year English student at Southern Utah University has finished a project to treat a blinding eye infection in central Ethiopia. He completed this project in late October 2015 with the support of the non-profit Hope Arising, which has been working in the village of Dera for several years. Turner's project found and treated over 1,500 positive cases of Trachoma, an eye infection that leads to blindness. Trachoma was eradicated in the early 1900's in the United States and is incredibly rare today. The infections were treated with a single dose of powerful antibiotics and a short educational lecture on how to avoid spreading and contracting the disease again. The clinic took a total of four days, during which the Ethiopian government estimates Mr. Wilson's team donated $15,789.47 worth of services and materials.
This project was presented as Turner's SUU EDGE project, or Education Designed to Give Experience. The EDGE program is an initiative to help SUU students use their education to impact the world beyond the university and to expand their horizons.
Hope Arising is a Arizona based non-profit that focuses on grass-roots change through education and investment in the local community. Turner Wilson has been working with Hope Arising for the past four year with his father, Dr. Jon Wilson to improve the quality of eye-care and education in Dera.
Hope Arising can be reached at email: [email protected] phone: (480) 305-7070
Turner Wilson can be reached at email: [email protected] phone: (435) 724-0761
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Cedar City, Utah
Turner Wilson, a third year English student at Southern Utah University has finished a project to treat a blinding eye infection in central Ethiopia. He completed this project in late October 2015 with the support of the non-profit Hope Arising, which has been working in the village of Dera for several years. Turner's project found and treated over 1,500 positive cases of Trachoma, an eye infection that leads to blindness. Trachoma was eradicated in the early 1900's in the United States and is incredibly rare today. The infections were treated with a single dose of powerful antibiotics and a short educational lecture on how to avoid spreading and contracting the disease again. The clinic took a total of four days, during which the Ethiopian government estimates Mr. Wilson's team donated $15,789.47 worth of services and materials.
This project was presented as Turner's SUU EDGE project, or Education Designed to Give Experience. The EDGE program is an initiative to help SUU students use their education to impact the world beyond the university and to expand their horizons.
Hope Arising is a Arizona based non-profit that focuses on grass-roots change through education and investment in the local community. Turner Wilson has been working with Hope Arising for the past four year with his father, Dr. Jon Wilson to improve the quality of eye-care and education in Dera.
Hope Arising can be reached at email: [email protected] phone: (480) 305-7070
Turner Wilson can be reached at email: [email protected] phone: (435) 724-0761
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