Vision Aid Overseas and Specsavers are celebrating 10 years of working together.
The partnership began in 2011 to expand sustainable eye care provision in Zambia and has seen the delivery of many programmes to those living in sight poverty.
During the last decade, Specsavers has helped to open 11 vision centres, provided over 200,000 spectacles and assisted in training and development for local professionals, through education and community outreach.
Vision Aid Overseas CEO Nicola Chevis said: “The support we receive from Specsavers is absolutely vital in enabling us to help hundreds of thousands of people living in sight poverty, this partnership completely transformed the work we do, and this week is a chance to reflect on everything that we have achieved together over the past 10 years as a team.”
Over a quarter of the World’s population (2.2 billion) has a visual impairment, but at least one billion cases are preventable. In the last 4 years alone, in Zambia, Specsavers have funded over half a million screenings and dispensed over 83,000 spectacles, as well as training over 900 students / professionals in many areas of ophthalmology. Giving communities in Zambia not only screenings, treatment and spectacles but providing them with the knowledge and resources to develop their own sustainable, accessible eye care systems.
Specsavers Founder Mary Perkins said: “Specsavers has been proud to be able to support Vision Aid Overseas and their amazing work in Zambia. It’s wonderful to hear how our partnership has benefited so many people and helped to enrich communities.”
Donate to Vision Aid Overseas at www.visionaidoverseas.org/donate-and-make-a-difference
