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Overview
VisionSpring is increasing incomes for farmers and workers in Kenya and Uganda by making vision care accessible where people work — so they can see clearly, work more effectively, and earn more.
Impact
0%
of people served received their first-ever pair of glasses
The Vision Gap
For tea, coffee, vanilla, and flower growers in East Africa, clear sight can mean the difference between earning a living or falling behind. In Kenya and Uganda, many adults have spent years with blurry vision, unable to afford glasses or access care. Eyeglasses remain a luxury item in many areas, and even when people want help, there’s often no one nearby to provide it.
Community-Based Approach
VisionSpring brings services directly to the farms, workplaces, and community centers where people work. To build trust and extend reach, the organization collaborates with women’s groups, health workers, and people already embedded in the community.
Teams provide vision tests and dispense reading or prescription glasses immediately using VisionSpring’s Pop-in™ technology, a portable system with pre-cut lenses that fit frames on the spot. Custom lenses are made locally and delivered quickly. Workers with cataracts or other conditions are referred to higher-level care.
Employers often host and fund these services during the workday because they see the value: better focus, fewer mistakes, and safer, healthier workers. The entire model is built to be fast, accessible, and cost-effective.
From Clearer Sight to Higher Earnings
Clear vision improves more than eyesight. It builds income, productivity, and stability, with daily gains that build over time. Research shows that reading glasses drive income gains of roughly 33% and productivity increases of around 22% in precision tasks like hand-picking tea leaves.
Making vision care convenient and trusted removes a quiet but powerful barrier to income. VisionSpring’s approach shows how a simple tool, delivered in the right place at the right time, can drive long-term economic gains.
Photo courtesy of VisionSpring
