A KIND-HEARTED Barnt Green optician has been officially honoured by an overseas government for his charitable work.
Claude Abban was presented with a special award by the High Commissioner for Ghana at the country's annual awards ceremony in London.
It recognised his regular self-funded aid trips to Ghana to provide much-needed help in treating the blind and partially-sighted.
Claude, who is a locum optometrist for Birmingham-based Scrivens, visits Africa once a year taking with him a supply of old spectacles and equipment from his workplace.
He said: "During my first visit to Ghana when I saw how poor the technology was and how under-funded the hospitals and clinics were, I realised my expertise could make a difference.
"Being given a chance to help such needy people is reward enough in itself, but it is a real honour to have been given this additional recognition from the Ghanaian authorities."
Scrivens's managing director, Nicholas Georgevic, said: "There is a vast gap in the quality of health care provision between the Third World and the UK which can be breached by sharing the expertise of highly qualified people like Claude."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article