Viviana

The primary school teacher could no longer see the work of her students.

Primary school teacher Viviana (Bolivia) | © Martin Aufmuth

Viviana can correct school work again

Different lens strengths

Viviana Chacolla (54) works as a primary school teacher in Santa Cruz (Bolivia). In order to improve her low salary, she drives a Tuktuk taxi in the afternoon. When Viviana came to us she was desperate:  although she had glasses from long ago, she was no longer able to see well with them and had given up on clear vision. Viviana was amazed to learn that lenses come in different strengths.

A colleague corrected for her

Viviana said: “I was no longer able to read my students’ notebooks, and I was also unable to enter notes. A colleague secretly helped me and I was very afraid that my headmaster would notice and I would lose my job.”

Fairy tale

Viviana lives with her single daughter and granddaughter in a poor area on the outskirts of Santa Cruz. She can read a fairy tale to her granddaughter for the first time.

Photos: Martin Aufmuth; story: Martin Aufmuth

“I didn’t even know that there were different strengths of glasses.”

Viviana Chacolla (54), primary school teacher in Santa Cruz (Bolivia)