Founded in 1985, Vision Aid Overseas has been helping some of the worlds poorest people to see clearly for over 30 years. Whether you are a teacher in Ghana, a seamstress in Zambia or a school pupil in Ethiopia, poor eye sight can have a devastating impact on your life and livelihood.

Without affordable eye care services, people living with poor eyesight often leave their condition to go untreated which can make their eyesight worse and can, if left untreated for long enough, lead to permanent blindness.

Our Vision

No one lives in poverty because of poor eyesight; no one lives with poor eyesight because of poverty.

Our Mission

To enable people living in poverty to access affordable glasses and eye care.

Key Facts

Vision Aid Overseas eye care programmes across Africa are aligned with the United Nations (UN) Global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Reducing visual impairment is widely seen as an accelerator to achieving the SDGs, such as eliminating poverty, improving health and well-being, improving education and reducing inequalities. Providing access to affordable eye care services and prescription glasses is essential to ensuring no one is left behind.

1.2 billion people worldwide cant see properly simply because they need glasses

12 million children worldwide struggle to learn simply because they need glasses

55% of visually impaired people are women

89% of visually impaired people live in low and middle-income countries

90% of all visual impairment is preventable or curable

$200 billion worth of productivity is lost every year because so many people do not have the glasses they need to see clearly

Our Strategic Principles

Our focus is on primary eye care and uncorrected refractive error (those who need glasses).

We strive to reach out to the poorest communities.

With the right resources and support, individuals, communities and organisations can develop their own solutions.

We seek to work in partnership with local, national and international agencies.

Professional Volunteers are central to our work.

Our Impact

Since 2011:

Over 89,300 people received life changing glasses

Over 233,795 people have been refracted or received an eye test

Over 1,190 professional eye care workers and eye care students received training

Over 21 Vision Centres have been setup

Research by the Department for International Development about our work in Ethiopia found that:

78% of adults treated, from minor surgery to receiving glasses, reported an improvement in their quality of life and an increase in household income after the treatment;

73% of children treated, out of 2569, showed improvements in their school performance since receiving treatment.

To find out more about how we work click here.