By Pelin Munis, Ph.D., CEO of RestoringVision
As we begin a new year filled with promise and optimism, RestoringVision is hitting the ground running in 2023 – celebrating our 20th anniversary – with a renewed commitment to our vision: a world where everyone who needs glasses has them.
Since our founding in 2003, we’ve built the momentum to scale our work – in 2022 we reached 3.4 million people alone with the vision services and eyeglasses they need to see clearly – our most impactful year yet. The year also marks the first time we have exceeded pre-COVID impact in terms of reach. Since our inception, we’ve reached more than 22 million people worldwide – and counting. That is an impact worth celebrating.
Now, we are fiercely determined to achieve another record-breaking year of impact as we celebrate strengthened philanthropic partnerships – and invite new ones to flourish. RestoringVision is bringing together a symphony of dedicated people, organizations, and companies passionate about solving the global vision crisis as we empower individuals living on less than $2 a day with the gift of clear vision.
All of this work is continuing a mission and legacy that started with our founder, Mark Sachs, 20 years ago and continues today in 2023 with the dedication of our team, board, partners, and donors.
We are excited to form new partnerships this year with people who want to join this noble cause: reaching over 1 billion people that still today live with a vision impairment that can be easily corrected. 81% or 826 million people suffer from vision impairment due to presbyopia – a common condition that can be easily corrected with a pair of reading glasses. 90% live in impoverished communities without access to vision care.
RestoringVision is determined to lead the countdown to solving – and thus, ending – the global vision crisis. We call on new philanthropic partners to join us at the table alongside program partners to help lead this charge. What will it take and what will it look like to solve this global vision crisis? Here are a few pathways we are thinking about when exploring the answer to this question:
- Building more vision programs at the country level that can be owned by countries themselves, built into government, health, labor, and education programs.
- Seeding new markets to ensure ongoing access to vision services and eyeglasses for people living on less than $2 a day where the markets currently do not exist.
- Innovation around screenings and the delivery of eyeglasses.
Our vision programs transform lives and advance global health, education, and economic development. Investing in universal eye health is critical to unlocking human potential, advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and improving the world economy. RestoringVision’s Global Access Program spans several continents with our largest markets being Latin America, Africa, and SE Asia. Aligned with our strategic plan, RestoringVision is expanding and deepening our programmatic footprint in these markets and creating sustainable channels by building local partnerships and collaborating with governments. Will you join us in this exciting and life-changing work today?
In order to continue to build sustainable programs across the globe, it will take a commitment and dedication to partnerships across the sector – and beyond – to get the job done. We cannot work in silos – we must work together to achieve our vision of a world where everyone who needs glasses has them. Because it’s going to take all of us to solve the global vision crisis.
We invite you to partner with RestoringVision in 2023 and beyond. We’re celebrating 20 years – and we’re just getting started. If you are interested in program partnerships, please email program@restoringvision.org. If you are interested in becoming a philanthropic partner, email give@restoringvision.org. Let’s solve the global vision crisis together.
