Cosmas Bunywera (left), Grace Mwangi (centre) and Keitumetse Thamana (right)
Credit: Peek Vision
Peek Vision is delighted to announce that three of its team members have been named as 2021 Eye Health Heroes by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB).
Cosmas Bunywera, Grace Mwangi and Keitumetse Thamane all work in Peek’s programmes team, working with partners to implement Peek technology in eye health programmes in countries including Ghana, Kenya, Pakistan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
IAPB is the premier eye health body worldwide and the overarching alliance for the global eye health sector. Its Eye Health Heroes programme recognises and celebrates outstanding individuals aged under 35 in the eye health sector who work with passion, purpose and determination to improve peoples’ lives.
Cosmas Bunywera is based in Kitale, Kenya, and has been named in the awards’ Innovators category, which recognises those who embrace new ideas and push the boundaries of knowledge to improve eye health. He has been part of the Peek team since 2012, when the earliest prototypes of Peek technology were tested in Nakuru, Kenya. Originally helping maintain hospital equipment, Cosmas now supports Peek-powered School and Community Eye Health programmes in Kenya as well as providing training and support to programmes internationally. Read more about Cosmas here.
Grace Mwangi is based in Nairobi, Kenya, and has been selected in the Future Leaders category of the awards. This category acknowledges high performers in their roles, who influence and unite others, helping them see new possibilities. Grace is an experienced Public Health professional with over eight years’ experience in designing, implementing and managing eye health projects across sub-Saharan Africa. She leads Peek-powered Community and School Eye Health programmes in Zimbabwe and Tanzania that currently connect 65 health facilities and have reached more than 70,000 people to date. Read more about Grace here.
Keitumetse Thamane is based in Gaborone, Botswana, and is named in the Changemakers category, which singles out motivated individuals who turn good ideas into action, actively bringing positive change to eye health through their actions. Keitumetse has over five years of experience in eye health and co-led the successful 2016 Peek Pilot Project in Goodhope, Botswana, in which almost 13,000 school children were screened and received appropriate treatment when needed. This programme was the forerunner to what is now a national School Eye Health programme in planning. She currently leads a Peek-powered Community Eye Health Programme in Uganda. Read more about Keitumetse here.
Commenting on the awards, Peek Vision CEO Andrew Bastawrous said, “The IAPB’s Eye Health Heroes represent the very best young professionals working in eye health today. The people at Peek are our greatest asset and I feel privileged to work with Cosmas, Grace and Keitumetse as part of our incredible team. Their recognition as Eye Health Heroes is richly deserved.”
The full cohort of 2021 IAPB Eye Health Heroes will benefit from a year-long programme of training, networking and special events to develop leadership skills and insights.