On the sunny island in Lake Titicaca
Once the center of the cultural life of the legendary Inca Empire – today around 2,000 people still live on the sunny island in Lake Titicaca.
At the end of the world
It is said that every fifth inhabitant has never left the island. For the inhabitants of the sunny island, eyeglasses are usually as inaccessible as they are unaffordable. The crowds at our eye camp are accordingly large.
Isla del Sol (English: Sun Island) belongs to Bolivia and is located in Lake Titicaca, the largest freshwater lake in South America, at an altitude of almost 4,000 meters and about 15 times the size of Lake Constance. The island is divided into three communities: Yumani in the south, Ch'allapampa in the north and Ch'alla in the center.
An interested audience
Nobody wants to miss out on an attraction like this. People watch what we set up in the first morning sun.
At this altitude, the air is very thin and dry. The air here has around 60 percent less oxygen than usual - it's easy to get out of breath just climbing the stairs. Our team has to work a little slower.
The eye camp of Lentes al instante (Bolivia) offers the unprecedented opportunity to have an eye test carried out directly on the sunny island and then receive a pair of glasses.
Nobody wants to miss out on an attraction like this. People watch what we set up in the first morning sun.
At this altitude, the air is very thin and dry. The air here has around 60 percent less oxygen than usual - it's easy to get out of breath just climbing the stairs. Our team has to work a little slower.
The eye camp of Lentes al instante (Bolivia) offers the unprecedented opportunity to have an eye test carried out directly on the sunny island and then receive a pair of glasses.
Nobody wants to miss out on an attraction like this. People watch what we set up in the first morning sun.
Appeal of the flag
In the morning before school, the flag is raised and the national anthem is sung.
Children with disabilities usually sit in the front row of the classroom. If they see too little, there is usually no help. In Bolivia, many children leave school without graduating.
Felicia
Felicia (30) has six children and grows potatoes and quinoa in her small fields. Her husband is a fisherman on Lake Titicaca. She is most pleased with her glasses, which allow her to see from afar when her husband comes home with his boat.
With these glasses, I can see from a distance when my husband comes home from fishing.
