Germany’s Honorary Consul donates 300 glasses to Honiara Eye Centre

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The Solomon Islands Honorary Consul to Germany, Dr Claudia von Seutter, has donated 300 reading and distance glasses to the Regional Eye Centre in Honiara to help people suffering from poor eyesight.

The glasses were formally handed over on Friday at the Regional Eye Centre at the National Referral Hospital.

Director of the Regional Eye Centre, Dr Carole Poloso, received the donation and commended Dr von Seutter for the initiative, saying the glasses will greatly assist patients who are unable to afford eyewear.

She said the donation would go a long way in helping people in need of vision support.

The glasses were collected in Germany through a voluntary community campaign organised by Dr von Seutter under the guiding principle: “Your old glasses can give the gift of better vision and quality of life.”

Members of the public were encouraged to donate unused prescription glasses, including reading glasses, distance glasses and progressive (varifocal) glasses of various prescriptions and frame types.

All donated glasses were carefully collected, packaged and personally transported by Dr von Seutter to ensure their safe delivery to Solomon Islands.

The initiative was supported by Solomon Airlines, which flew the donated items to Honiara at its own expense.

Dr von Seutter said the donation represents a small but effective humanitarian contribution that will have immediate benefits for people affected by visual impairment, while also strengthening goodwill between Solomon Islands and Germany.

Dr von Seutter, who has served as Honorary Consul for Solomon Islands since 2022, is currently visiting the country from March 11 to 18 with a delegation.

During the visit she will meet with officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade and other stakeholders to discuss her work in Germany and ways to strengthen bilateral relations.

The delegation also includes representatives of German companies from the packaging industry and the security technology sector, as well as potential investors who will be introduced to the country’s economic and agricultural opportunities.

Dr von Seutter previously lived in Honiara with her family from 2011 to 2015 and says she remains deeply connected to the country.

“The Solomon Islands is the diamond in the rough of the South Pacific, both economically and in terms of tourism,” she said.

“I am very pleased to represent this wonderful group of islands in Germany and to make it better known there. I am equally delighted to return to Guadalcanal, where I lived with my family for over four years.”

During her eight-day visit, the Honorary Consul’s program includes high-level meetings with several government ministers, visits to the University of the South Pacific and Solomon Islands National University, and a stop at the Solomon Islands National Museum to explore a cultural heritage research project involving Solomon Islands artefacts held in German museums.

The Honorary Consulate in Germany represents Solomon Islands across all German states and supports the work of the Solomon Islands Embassy in Brussels, helping to expand diplomatic, cultural and economic ties between the two countries.