VisionSpring

Visionspring works to increase lifelong earning, learning, safety, and well-being through eyeglasses for people vulnerable to poverty. In 2022, we screened 2.13m people and corrected the vision of 1.5m, providing eyeglasses to low-income earners and learners to see well and do well. More than half of these individuals received their first-ever pair of eyeglasses. Vision correction with these eyeglasses has unlocked an estimated $324m in income-earning potential for households living on less than $4 per day. This milestone year also marked our total distribution of eyeglasses to 10m people since the organization's founding in 2001. As the pandemic receded in 2022, Visionspring transitioned back to an exclusive focus on optical services and eyeglasses sales, growing at a rate of 38% year-on-year and exceeding our annual goal of eyeglasses sold at a rate of 106% achievement. Our target customers were reached in over 20 countries, including our largest markets in india, bangladesh, and sub-saharan africa. Visionspring's program activities are implemented through two models, vision access programs, and institutional partnerships. In 2022, our vision access programs (vap) corrected the vision of 652k people in workplaces, factories, schools, transportation hubs, and rural and informal settlements. Visionspring specializes in improving the livelihoods of working-age adults, such that 82% of those served were through our see to earn program of vap's impact. Our vision access programs advance our impact along three themes: see to earn, see to learn, and see to be safe. See to earn: we partner with private foundations, governments, and corporate social responsibility offices of major businesses to bring free vision screening and low-cost glasses to adults engaged in the informal and agricultural economies. Under see to earn, our longest-running program, reading glasses for improved livelihoods (rgil), crossed the 2-million-pairs milestone and posted a record with 256k eyeglasses sold. During 2022, we expanded rgil into new markets, focusing on weaving clusters in india, cocoa regions of ghana, and tea gardens in kenya. Additionally, our clear vision workplaces (cvw) program, powered by an alliance of leading brands, dramatically increases eyeglasses coverage rates among workers who produce textiles, garments, and home goods. In 2022, we completed screenings for 405k workers in apparel and home goods factories and found that 1 in 3 workers struggle with uncorrected blurry vision. See to learn: eyeglasses increase a student's ability to succeed in school, boosting learning outcomes equivalent to an additional half year of schooling on average. In july 2022, we restarted the see to learn program in india when schools reopened following covid shutdowns. In one semester, we screened the vision of 270k school children and dispensed 62k pairs of eyeglasses. See to be safe: equipping drivers with eyeglasses enables them to see more clearly, thereby minimizing road hazards. To lower the incidence of vehicle accidents and the associated risks of injury and mortality, we screen the vision of truckers, bus drivers and allied transport workers in major transit hubs with corporate sponsors and ministry of transportation partners. In 2022, Visionspring screened 84k drivers and transport workers, bringing our see to be safe total to 529k since 2018. Through our institutional partnerships, Visionspring sells bulk quantities of eyeglasses, coupled with training and marketing support, to our network of hospital, pharmacy, eye care center, ngo, and government partners. Our partners rely on Visionspring's quality product, timely delivery, favorable payment terms, and sell-through support to expand their vision services to low-income customers. In 2022, we sold 866k pairs of eyeglasses to our partners, with 59% delivered to india, 23% delivered to our africa-key markets, and 18% delivered to partners in other countries. In may 2022, Visionspring launched our first-ever 'made in india' range of eyeglasses, "dare to matter." The collection consists of 88 frame styles designed with feedback from those who have been wearing our eyeglasses for years such as factory workers, students, drivers, artisans, and micro entrepreneurs and incorporated their input to help shape the molds used to manufacture the frames. To support Visionspring's global reach and impact, we have team members based in multiple countries, including bangladesh, ghana, india, kenya, nigeria, uganda, vietnam, and zambia. These teams advance our organizational mission through localized strategies and partnerships, ensuring that our programs are culturally sensitive and effective. Additionally, our support office in the united states provides essential backing, enabling us to exceed our targets and continue expanding our scope. This international organizational structure has been instrumental in our ability to deliver high-quality vision services to low-income communities around the world.