Minus Lenses: A Bridge of Hope

Banjarmasin (ANTARA) - With tearful eyes, Yennie Rosyanto Yudha could not hide her emotion. She broke down in tears witnessing the happiness radiating from 12-year-old Aqila Rizkya and her older sister, 16-year-old Humaira Ramadhania. The Chairwoman of the South Kalimantan Regional Police’s Bhayangkari organisation had just handed over corrective glasses to the two siblings. For the past two years, Aqila and Humaira have suffered from severe myopia, with prescriptions exceeding minus 5.00, categorised as high myopia. The condition blurred their vision and disrupted daily activities, including their studies. Aqila is currently in the fifth grade at SDN Pangeran 3 Banjarmasin, while Humaira is in the eleventh grade at SMAN 11 Banjarmasin. Their father, Niagara, admitted he could not afford glasses as the cost was beyond the family’s modest economic means. Living in a simple house on Jalan Agatis III, North Banjarmasin District, and working irregular jobs, Niagara could only resign himself to his daughters’ visual impairment. Help eventually arrived from the South Kalimantan Regional Police, which purchased high-quality corrective glasses worth Rp6 million for each child. Polda Kalsel also ordered special lenses directly from Thailand due to the severity of the sisters’ vision problems. Niagara was left speechless, expressing only gratitude for the assistance and hoping that Allah SWT would repay the kindness of the South Kalimantan Police Chief and all his staff. Norjenah Hayati, the homeroom teacher for class V at SDN Pangeran 3 Banjarmasin, said Aqila is an intelligent child with a high enthusiasm for learning. Despite her visual limitations, Aqila remained focused during lessons. ‘I sometimes feel sorry for her, so I place Aqila at the front so she is closer to the blackboard,’ she revealed. Ahmad Syadzali, Head of SDN Pangeran 3 Banjarmasin, also appreciated the police’s initiative in providing free glasses to several students at his school. He noted the aid was very beneficial and precisely targeted for the students in need. The corrective glasses are not merely a visual aid, but also a bridge of hope for children to continue learning and achieve a better future.