Programs/Program Undertaken between 1st January 2024 to 31st March 2024:
Improving the lives and productivity of Tea tribes (tea garden workers and their families/dependents) through eye-screenings and provision of eyeglasses, in association with the Tea Estates in Assam, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal.
Background and Scope:
During the period of 1st January 2024 till 31st March 2024, a total of 19,855 tea tribes and their household members were screened in the tea estates of Assam, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal, India and 11,352 eyeglasses were provided to those who required them. Those with complex eye diseases were referred to the Government/other hospitals in the area for further diagnosis and treatment. This program was conducted in collaboration with the following organisations:
1. Tea garden workers and their families/dependents in following locations of Assam India:
* Amalgamated Plantations, Achabam
*Amalgamated Plantations, Borhat
*Amalgamated Plantations, Naharkhatia
*Amalgamated Plantations, Naamroop
*Amalgamated Plantations, Powai
2. Tea garden workers and their families/dependents in following locations of West Bengal, India:
* Jalpaiguri District Small Tea Growers, Darjeeling*
* Jalpaiguri District Small Tea Growers, Jalpaiguri*
* Makaibari Tea Estate, Darjeeling*
3. Tea garden workers and their families/dependents in following locations of Tamil Nadu, India:
*Indo Sri Lankan Trust, Nilgiris*
*Note: JDSTGA, Makaibari, and Indo Srilankan project will continue in the next quarter as well.
Eye-Screening Statistics: 1st January 2024 to 31st March 2024
1. Distribution of people screened: Screened a total of 19,855 tea pickers and their households in the tea estates of Assam, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal, India, among them 47% (n = 9,362) were males and 53% (n = 10,489) were females.
2. Refractive error (poor vision) rate among the screened population: 67% (n = 13,334) of all the screened individuals identified with refractive error/presbyopia.
3. Referrals made for the screened population: 19% (n = 3,688) have been referred to the hospitals out of whom 76% (n = 2,820) identified with suspected cataract and 24% (n = 868) identified with other complex eye diseases had been referred for further diagnosis to tertiary care hospitals and/or community health centres.
4.Eyeglasses distribution: 85% (n = 11,352) of all population identified with refractive error/presbyopia received eyeglasses; Reading Glasses: 61% (n = 6,962), Pre-cuts: 8% (n = 905) and Prescription (Rx) Glasses: 31% (n = 3,485).
5.First Time Wearers (FTWs): 96% (n = 10,876) of the people who received their eyeglasses got their first ever pair of eyeglasses through the eye-screening outreach program.
6.Post-coverage rate in the population was 85%.
Testimonial: Amalgamated Plantations, Assam
Name: Chandrana Borchetia
Gender: Female
Age: 34 Years
Occupation: Tea Garden Worker
Location: Dibrugarh, Assam
Chandrana Borchetia has been working in the tea garden for more than 12 years and she came to know about the eye-screenings outreach conducted by the VisionSpring team through a mobilisation announcement in the locality. She has been struggling with headaches and blurry vision during her daily tasks in the tea garden which has decreased her productivity, making it challenging to complete her usual workload efficiently. She visited the outreach program and underwent a thorough eye checkup and was provided with a pair of eyeglasses to address her vision problems. She expresses that with the newfound clarity, she feels more confident and anticipates being able to work with increased productivity, as she can now see things clearly.
B. Improving the lives and productivity of artisans, weavers and their households in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Assam, Uttarakhand, Odisha, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Punjab, and Karnataka through eye-screenings and provision of eyeglasses.
The objective of the program was to reach out to 74,176 weavers, artisans, and their households in the weavers and artisans’ clusters of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Assam, Odisha, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, West Bengal, Bihar, and Punjab through eye-screenings and distributed 41,290 eyeglasses to those who require, as well as it includes the referral of cataract and other complex eye disease cases to nearby hospitals for further diagnosis and potential treatment. p
Between 1st January 2024 to 31st March 2024, weavers, artisans, spinners, and their household were screened for vision in the weaver and artisan clusters of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Assam, Odisha, Bihar, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Punjab and 41,290 eyeglasses were provided to those who required them. Those with complex eye diseases were referred to the Government/other hospitals in the area for further diagnosis and treatment. This program was in collaboration with the following organisations in India:
• Rural & Tribal Artisans in Udalguri (Assam)*
• ACCESS Development Services in Barmer (Rajasthan)*
• Bhartiya Samruddhi Investments and Consulting Services in Ramnagar and Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh)
• HKV Benaras in Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh)
• Kunj Innovation Trust in Sonbhadra (Uttar Pradesh)
• Mayurbhanj Foundation in Mayurbhanj (Odisha)*
• Mubarakpur Handloom in Azamgarh, Varanasi, and Uttar Pradesh (Uttar Pradesh)
• Panchganga Mahila in Mumbai (Maharashtra)
• Project Purkul in Haridwar and Dehradun (Uttarakhand)*
• RaviChhaya Foundation in Aurangabad (Maharashtra)*
• Skilled Samaritan in Muzaffarnagar (Uttar Pradesh)
• The Nabha Foundation in Patiala (Punjab)*
• TISSER India (Multiple states)
• UDEVU Weavers in Chitradurga (Karnataka)*
• Umamaheswara Weavers in Vizianagaram (Andhra Pradesh)*
• VAC Trust in Uttara Kannada and Dharwad (Karnataka)
• Yuva Vikas Foundation in Mayurbhanj, Balasore, and Kendrapara (Odisha)
*Note: RTD Foundation, Access Development Services, Mayurbhanj Foundation, Project Purkul, RaviChhaya, Skilled Samaritan, The Nabha Foundation, UDEVU, and Umamaheshwara projects will continue in next quarter also.
Eye-Screening Statistics: 1st January 2024 to 31st March 2024
1. Distribution of people screened: Screened a total of 74,716 weavers, artisans, spinners, and their household in the weaver and artisan clusters of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Assam, Odisha, Bihar Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Punjab in India, among them 49% (n = 36,301) were males and 51% (n = 37,870) were females.
2. Refractive error (poor vision) rate among the screened population: 69% (n =51,539) of all the screened individuals identified with refractive error/presbyopia.
3. Referrals made for the screened population: 14% (n = 10,098) have been referred to the hospitals out of whom 72% (n = 7,251) identified with suspected cataract and 28% (n = 2,847) identified with other complex eye diseases had been referred for further diagnosis to tertiary care hospitals and/or community health centres.
4. Eyeglasses distribution: 90% (n = 41,290) of all population identified with refractive error/presbyopia received eyeglasses; Reading Glasses: 54% (n = 22,494) and Prescription (Rx) Glasses: 39% (n = 16,061) and Pre-Cuts: 7% (n = 2,735).
5. First Time Wearers (FTWs): 90% (n = 37,343) of the people who received their eyeglasses got their first ever pair of eyeglasses through the eye-screening outreach program
6. Post-coverage rate in the population was 90%.
Testimonials: BASIX India, Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh
Name: Prabhunath Rajbhar
Gender: Male
Age: 55 Years.
Occupation: Weaver
Location: Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh
Prabhunath has been working as a weaver for more than 20 years. Two weeks ago, he broke the left temple of his eyeglasses which was making it difficult for him to see clearly while weaving. He visited the outreach program to get a new pair of eyeglasses. Prabhunath was overjoyed as he can see clearly again with the eyeglasses he had received. This experience has not only improved Prabhunath’s vision but also has a positive impact on his livelihood as a weaver. He can now continue with his work without hindrance.
D. Improving the lives and educational outcomes of children through the provision of eyeglasses.
Locations: Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi NCR, Haryana, Punjab, and West Bengal in India.
VSF collaborated with multiple mission-aligned organizations/bodies such as Devi Sansthan in Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh), Kashi Jaycees Charitable Trust in Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh), Joti Foundation in Bathinda (Punjab), Navjyoti India Foundation in Delhi (Delhi NCR), Sampark Sathi Foundation in Delhi (Delhi NCR), Loyal Welfare Foundation in Agra (Uttar Pradesh) Varitra Foundation in Karnal (Haryana). Please refer to Table 1 for detailed information.
VSF conducted eye-screenings of 94,059 children and provided 7,815 eyeglasses from 1st January 2024 to 31st March 2024. These eyeglasses helped children see clearly and improved learning outcomes as 70% of learning is through vision. It helps children to actively participate in school and would contribute to making their future bright.
Eye-Screening Statistics: 1st January 2024 to 31st March 2024
1. Distribution of children screened: Screened 94,059 children in various states of India.
2. Eyeglasses distribution: 7,815 eyeglasses were distributed to the children who had refractive error.
3. First Time Wearers (FTWs): Out of 7,815 eyeglasses distributed to the children, 6,510 were the first-time eyeglasses wearers.
Testimonial:
Name: Soumyaditi
Gender: Female
Age: 14 years
Occupation: Student
Soumyaditi, who is in 9th class was facing issues while attending classes and while playing with friends. While playing with her friends, she sometimes missed out on objects or couldn’t see something clearly, because of which she constantly kept losing in games. In the classroom she was facing trouble in seeing the blackboard clearly. After her check-up and receiving a pair of glasses she can see all distant things clearly. She feels her experience of seeing things has improved.
Testimonial:
Name: Priyanka
Gender: Female
Age: 10 years
Occupation: Student
Priyanka who is in 5th class said that she was not aware that there was any issue with her eyesight. She had been getting frequent headaches but did not relate this to poor eyesight. After getting her eyes tested, she realised that she could see much better with glasses. The spectacles she received will help her see everything clearly now. She is expecting that her headache issue will also be resolved with the spectacles.
VisionSpring Foundation (VSF) Activity Report: 1st January 2024 to 31st March 2024
Mission
To provide eye-screening, primary eye-care services, and eye-health advice to the people at the bottom of the socio-economic pyramid.
Current Scenario
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates, more than 700 million people in the developing world struggle with poor life quality due to bad eyesight. It is estimated that uncorrected vision results in $227 billion in lost productivity to the global economy. In India alone, an estimated 550 million (55 Crore) people require eyeglasses for vision correction. Blurry vision compromises one’s ability to work effectively, to read and learn in school, and to navigate surroundings with ease and safety. For many living in developing countries suffering from vision loss, a pair of eyeglasses could mean the difference between opportunity and loss of income and quality of life.
Activities
VisionSpring Foundation (VSF) is an NGO (not-for-profit) that does eye screening for the poor people, provides primary eye-care services, and eye health advice with FCRA Registration Number: 231661855. VSF also has the facility of providing eyeglasses to those who need them. VSF conducts community outreach activities and free eye-screening outreach program. The mobile eyecare units (vans) go to the remote interiors and provide last mile vision-care services to the poor. VSF also provides eye-care/eye-health advice centres and refers patients with complex eye diseases (such as cataract, etc.) to the nearest eye hospital. VSF helps change the lives of the poor people in India by aiding in restoring their vision.
VisionSpring Foundation (VSF) has received FCRA grant amount from 1st January 2020 to 31st March 2024 as per the table below: