RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif.—VSP Global has announced the completion of two large multi-year initiatives which increased access to eyecare and eyewear for those who have been disadvantaged by income, distance or disaster, through Eyes of Hope. The first of these completed initiatives was WE SEE: A Child Health Project, which was launched in Soweto, South Africa. In 2014, just 20 percent of the children in South Africa who needed glasses could get them. Together, VSP Global and Nike identified local partners such as Just Eyewear and Mellins i.Style.

Then, they developed a sustainable solution to bring eyecare to the children of Soweto. With the help of the Brien Holden Vision Institute, who joined to administer the project, and local government agencies, VSP Global’s Eyes of Hope implemented vision screenings and eye health management into local schools.

Additionally, they established an eye health clinic at the local Nike Football Training Centre, implemented training for 26 school nurses, and welcomed six new doctors who specialized in pediatric optometry. By the end of the initiative, more than 95,000 children received access to vision care and more than 2,400 received no-cost Nike glasses.

Dr. Matthew Alpert, VSP Global board member and network doctor, led the project exploration and launch. He said, “At the end of the project, the eyecare clinic was donated to the local community and, through a local hospital, continues to provide critical access to eyecare for adults. WE SEE has led to a sustainable solution for a community that was very much in need and we are proud to have been a part of that journey.”

The second initiative began in 2016, when VSP Global teamed up with the U.S. Conference of Mayors to reach out to communities in need across the U.S. Through two years of traveling the country and teaming up with local mayors, over 12,000 people in need across 15 communities were able to access no-cost eyecare and eyewear from a VSP network eye doctor.

Dr. Alpert said, “These two initiatives are an outstanding example of how different sectors of society, from business, health and education to local government and non-profit organizations, can partner to help make seeing clearly a reality for those most in need.”

VSP Global has committed to reaching another one million people in need by 2020.