PRESS RELEASE
Wednesday, January 23, 2019

Two Ghanaian students will learn from world's best eye care professionals 

Two students from Ghana are preparing to be flown more than 7,000 miles to Manchester for a prestigious contact lens conference after winning travel grants. 
The funding means Nutifafa Esther Senanu (pictured top right)  from Kwame Nkrumah (pictured bottom right) University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, and Ebenezer Zaabaar from the University of Cape Coast, will be able to attend the 2019 British Contact Lens Association (BCLA) Clinical Conference and Exhibition.
The BCLA will provide a complimentary full delegate package for both students for the event while the travel grant was awarded by not-for-profit organisation The Optical Foundation, whose mission is to make eye care accessible for all in Ghana, especially children.  
Nutifafa and Ebeneezer were chosen out of 20 candidates who applied for The Optical Foundation 2019 Frans Oosterhof Travel Grant.
Carolina Kunnen of the Optical Foundation, said:  “We had always intended to allocate one travel grant to the top performing male and another to the top performing female and were thrilled that the judge's scoring highlighted these two candidates as the top performing candidates. 
“We are also pleased that one candidate was successful from Kumasi and one from Cape Coast, with very little separating the two applicants.”

Nutifafa and Ebeneezer will be able to absorb cutting edge learning from BCLA Conference delegates, and take it back to Ghana to inspire fellow students and eye care professionals.

They will hear about the latest innovation and clinical insight, and take part in hands-on workshops showcasing the most up-to-the-minute techniques. 
Both students will also be able to experience a dedicated exhibition from the world’s leading contact lens and ocular surface management manufacturers and suppliers.

BCLA chief executive Chery Donnelly said: “The two Ghanaian students will now have an incredible opportunity to hear from our line-up of stellar speakers from across the world. It truly is an international conference and we look forward to welcoming both Nutifafa and Ebeneezer to Manchester. It will be the trip of a lifetime.”

The three-day Clinical Conference and Exhibition, due to take place from May 30 to June 1, is returning to Manchester, with the city set to play host to one of the profession’s most eagerly anticipated international conferences – featuring a new hashtag for 2019 of #AlwaysLearning.

This grant selection process involved the assistance of The Optical Foundation Advisory Committee consisting of Eric Papas, Fayiz Mahgoub, Ayeswarya Ravikumar, Bianca van Leeuwen, and Thomas Stokkermans.

CooperVision UK is funding the students airfares, transport and hotel accommodation.

For more information on registering for the BCLA Clinical Conference and Exhibition, visit www.bcla.org.uk

Notes to editors
• The Optical Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation, working mainly in Ghana, with the mission of making eye care accessible for everyone, especially for children.
• The Frans Oosterhof Travel Grant is a grant awarded to talented Ghanaian ‘level 500’ optometry students to attend one of the major international optometry conferences.
• For interviews, call Daniel Owens from Orange Juice Communications on 07909 916668 or email [email protected].