In year 2022, the world is moving at high speed with new innovations and inventions, with smart phones and artificial technology, we tend to take important things for granted. With a 20% of the world’s population living in poverty, it is a given that not all have the means to a perfect eyesight. We, at Opticsfit, make it our first priority, our mission, to arouse people’s awareness and provide these means to subcontinents such as India and other countries worldwide, that they so greatly need.
Our Perspective
Visual impairment is not something to take lightly nor should it be considered a common issue. It is actually one of the largest unaddressed disabilities of today. Additionally to this, not to have access to glasses, due to a non-stable or inaccessible health care systems is simply not acceptable for us. Thus we have taken the initiative to begin our own expedition into this ongoing situation, with our Fit The World Challenge.
Opticsfit initially focuses on those less fortunate and members of low income families in India. In India, approximately 550 million individuals are believed to be suffering from some level of vision impairment. With a population of 1.3 billion, that means roughly 41% of the population is suffering. This is already a vast improvement from the last 10 years, when only 7% of the Indian population wore glasses whereas over 60% in fact needed them.
The Benefits Of A Proper Eyesight In Numbers
Optics science, through such a simple invention as glasses, has given us infinite possibilities for personal growth (economic, social etc) and improvement. Studies that were conducted in India, in which on a trial basis, glasses were given to a group of tea pickers, and it was proven that the introduction of eyeglasses almost immediately increased their productivity by over 20%. Furthermore, for participants over the age of 55, it has been proven to increase productivity by 30%.
As far as the Indian farming market goes, the net worth is expected to be increased to $430 billion by 2024, it could be extrapolated that by simply providing glasses to the workforce, it could result to an additional $86 billion in added revenue. When we first saw these numbers we were astonished, and we strongly believe that you will agree with us when we say that it is in everyone’s interest that all people have access to proper vision.
Children – Our Future
Unbeknownst to most, a large number of children struggle with schooling, simply because they are unable to see the board, read from a book or solve an exercise. These children are often mislabeled as difficult or “problematic” and are not given the correct attention and care they need.
Being unable to keep up during lessons, enviably leads to students falling behind and become a source of distraction during class. If this goes unattended, these children will eventually be removed from the class or even worse, drop out of school as they will not be able to meet the needed standards.
Identifying vision issues is crucial, yet it’s only the start, since children with problematic eyesight must then be given the appropriate treatment. As seen at a school in Michigan, where approximately 1 out of 5 students was found to have uncorrected vision issues and yet unfortunately only roughly 1% of those students did in fact receive glasses.
Fit The World Challenge
So what can we do, you say?
Opticsfit through our partner website “Glasses4Free” is already donating a significant number of eyeglasses through our collaboration with worldwide organizations, that are dedicated to improve the standard of living, in developing countries.
Opticsfit, has already donated several eye exam instruments such as Ophthalmoscopes and Phoropters to medical facilities in Mumbai, Jharkhand and Manipur to be used for Free eye examinations to those who cannot afford to.
Opticsfit is already in negotiation with several like-minded charity organizations, with the intent to take a step forward, towards a world where uncorrected vision issues are nothing but a bad memory.
The Challenge is to keep providing for those in need, to keep moving forward towards a better future. We can humbly admit that we may not be able to reach everyone or solve all problems, but every single life that we help to improve, we consider it a triumph.
Include yourself to this challenge and let’s make this a world that everyone Fits in.
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