Taking eye care to rural areas on Mandela Day

Ms Jackman will be raising money and awareness for the Diep River non-profit, Grace Vision, during her Mandela Day Long Walk for Sight.

She will walk in the Eastern Cape, from Zithulele Hospital, where cataract surgery is done to the Canzibe Hospital, where the charity stationed a mobile eye-care truck earlier this year, covering 25km on July 15, 25km on July 16 and 17km on July 17.

On Mandela Day, Thursday July 18, she and the Grace Vision team will attend a golf day fundraiser at the East London Golf Club.

Ms Jackman’s husband, Robin Jackman, a former English international cricketer in the early 1970s and former South African cricket commentator, has been involved with Grace Vision for seven years, doing promotional videos and radio interviews for it.

“Having been involved with Grace Vision for a few years now, I am delighted that Yvonne is prepared to support the initiative in this way. I am thrilled that she is so impressed with the work that they do, and I know that the walk she is undertaking will help highlight the incredible work that is being done,” said Mr Jackman.

Ms Jackman said that she saw the extent of Grace Vision’s “amazing work” when she visited hospitals in the Eastern Cape last year.

She has been preparing for this walk for over three months, slowly building up to around 70km to 90km a week in the past three weeks.

Grace Vision CEO John Rae said the organisation felt “honoured” to have Ms Jackman represent it

Grace Vision has done free primary eye care and cataract surgeries in the Eastern Cape since 2008.

“Grace Vision has screened more than 36 000 adults, screened more than 60 200 children, distributed more than 11 900 spectacles and provided cataract surgeries to more than 1700 patients,” said Mr Rae.

Visit www.gracevision.org.za info@gracevision.org.za or call 021 715 4944 for more information.