GLOBAL FOUNDATION ASSISTS 13 UNEMPLOYED ZAMBIAN YOUTH OPTOMETRISTS TO LAUNCH RURAL EYE CARE BUSINESSES
Good vision is a basic human right, yet, uncorrected poor vision still affects approximately 2.7 billion people around the world despite existing solutions having the potential to solve 80% of all vision problems.
The OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation believes in a world where everyone can see more and be more. As such, the Foundation leverages an innovative approach to philanthropy, partnerships and raising awareness to create sustainable access to vision care.
The Foundation’s work focuses on partnering with governments, NGOs and like-minded private organisations to provide free eye exams and glasses for the people most in need, fund local vision care programs and raise awareness of poor vision among policy makers and at a community level.
In 2016, the Foundation signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Zambian Government to support eye care services in Zambia. Since then, the Foundation has established 65 eye clinics in government and mission hospitals creating access to approximately 15 million Zambians. Adding to their track record of this impact, the Foundation has implemented an employment and eye care intervention, by assisting unemployed, qualified optometry graduates forming part of the Rural Eye Care Support Youth Group with opening their own optical shops.
“The main aim of the Rural Eye Care Support Youth Group is for provision of eye care services to the underserved rural and peri-urban areas as well as to create employment for the unemployed Optometrist youths,” says Phaless Samboko Mungule: Country Manager for the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation in Zambia.
Since 2023, the Foundation has embarked on supporting the optometrist youths who have registered as a youth group with the National Youth Development Youth Council. To date, 9 optical shops have been opened, 6 of which were opened in 2024. The stores are located in Solwezi, Kabwe, Chilanga, Lusaka, Ndola, Kitwe and Chililabobmwe. The Foundation recently announced that it aims to have an additional 14 optical shops established between August and November. This means 23 optical shops up and running by December this year.
OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation will cover the renovation cost for the premises, three months initial cost for optical shop rentals, equipment, furniture and 3 months-supply for eye wear products. Further, the Foundation will support ongoing training and mentorship.
Each optical shop is valued at a start-up cost of about U$8,000. The entrepreneur will own and run it as an independent business going forward, with guidance from a business Developer from the Foundation. Various vision care services will be available to the public and depending on each specific prescription and frame style the patient has chosen, glasses will be dispensed at a cost of as low as K50 and maximum at K1,700 per pair
“We are excited about furthering the reach of vision care services more widely across Zambia, but also to actively contribute to job creation for graduates who have invested in their education towards an aspect of healthcare where great need still exists,” Jeff Mudenda, Associate Director for Africa Supply Chain added.
The Foundation has made a tremendous impact on eye care in the country. The Foundation’s partnership with the Government of the Republic of Zambia in eye care has seen the successful implementation of the first National Eye Health Strategy as well as the current one. From 2016, the Foundation has spent close to U$10 million in Zambia.
On a global scale, since 2013, the Foundation along with its partners has created permanent access to vision care for over 872 million people around the world, equipping more than 77 million people in underserved regions with eyeglasses and creating rural livelihoods in vision care through more than 29,300 rural optical points.
For more information contact Phaless Samboko Mungule on 0956 551 470, via e-mail at PMungule@onesight.org or visit https://onesight.essilorluxottica.com.
