Activity Report: January 2021 to March 2021

VisionSpring Foundation (VSF) Activity Report: 1st January 2021 to 31st March 2021

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 camps. The mobile eye-care 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) received a grant amount of USD ($) 1,221,521 from 1st January 2020 to 31st March 2021:

D. Improving the lives and productivity of weavers and artisans in Sambalpur and Bargarh, Odisha, through COVID-19 safe eye-screenings and provision of eyeglasses

Background and Scope:

VisionSpring Foundation (VSF) identified weavers and artisans, their families, and associated communities in Sambalpur and Bargarh, Odisha. VSF associated with the Vision India Foundation and the Sambalpuri Bastralaya for this program. After making the locations COVID-19 ready, VSF conducted eye-screenings with the COVID-19 safe protocols.16,519 weavers and their household members in the weaver clusters of Sambalpur and Bargarh Districts of Odisha, India, were screened for vision and 7,766 eyeglasses were provided to those who required them and those with complex eye diseases were referred to the Government and other hospitals in the area for further diagnosis and treatment.

Eye-Screening Statistics:
1. Distribution of people screened: Screened a total of 16,519 weavers and their household members in the weaver clusters of Sambalpur and Bargarh Districts of Odisha, India. Among them, 59% (n = 9,724) were males and 41% (n = 6,795) were females.
2. Refractive error (poor vision) rate among the screened population: 60% (n = 9,991) of all the screened individuals identified with refractive error/presbyopia.
3. Referrals made for the screened population: 15% (n = 2,458) identified with suspected cataract and 4% (n = 721) identified with other complex eye diseases had been referred for further diagnosis to tertiary care hospitals and/or community health centres.
4. Eyeglasses distribution: 78% (n = 7,766) of all population identified with refractive error/presbyopia received eyeglasses; Reading Glasses: 58% (n = 4,563) and Prescription (Rx) Glasses: 42% (n = 3,203).
5. First Time Wearers (FTWs): 88% (n = 6,839) of the people who received their eyeglasses got their first ever pair of eyeglasses through the eye-screening program.
6.Post-coverage rate in the population was 78%.

Please Note: 15,908 eye-screenings were conducted from 1st January 2021 to 31st March 2021. Rest of the 611 eye-screenings were conducted in the previous quarter(s).

Eye-Screening Statistics:

1. Distribution of people screened: Screened a total of 9,003 workers in the factories of Delhi NCR, India, and the neighboring areas. Among them, 52% (n = 4,704) were males and 48% (n= 4,299) were females.
2. Refractive error (poor vision) rate among the screened population: 40% (n = 3,570) of all the screened individuals identified with refractive error/presbyopia.
3. Referrals made for the screened population: 0.3% (n = 28) identified with suspected cataract and 2% (n =1 94) identified with other complex eye diseases had been referred for further diagnosis to tertiary care hospitals and/or community health centres.
4. Eyeglasses distribution: 93% (n = 3,334) of all population identified with refractive error/presbyopia received eyeglasses; Reading Glasses: 51% (n = 1,702) and Prescription (Rx) Glasses: 49% (n = 1,632).
5.First Time Wearers (FTWs): 74% (n = 2,463) of the people who received their eyeglasses got their first ever pair of eyeglasses through the eye-screening program.
6. Post-coverage rate in the population was 93%.

Please Note: 8,703 eye-screenings were conducted from February 2021 till end of March 2021. 3,162 eyeglasses have been provided. The project is currently ongoing.

E. Improving the lives and productivity of weavers and artisans, their families, and associated communities in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Gujarat through COVID-19 safe eye-screenings and provision of eyeglasses

Background and Scope:

VisionSpring Foundation (VSF) associated with the Jaipur Rugs Foundation and for the vision screenings and eyeglasses outreach program for the weavers and artisans, their families, and associated communities in the artisan and weaver clusters at various locations in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Gujarat. After making the locations COVID-19 ready by doing COVID-19 awareness creation, training on hand hygiene, mask wearing, and social distancing protocols, VSF conducted eye-screenings with the COVID-19 safe protocols.
The objective of the project is to conduct eye-screenings and provide eyeglasses to those who require them and to refer those with complex eye diseases to the Government and other hospitals in the area for further diagnosis and treatment.

Eye-Screening Statistics:

1. Distribution of people screened: Screened a total of 5,780 weavers, artisans, spinners, and their households members in the weaver and artisan clusters of the Hardoi District of Uttar Pradesh and the Bikaner District of Rajasthan. Among them, 42% (n = 2,403) were males and 58% (n = 3,377) were females.
2.Refractive error (poor vision) rate among the screened population: 62% (n = 3,583) of all the screened individuals identified with refractive error/presbyopia.
3. Referrals made for the screened population: 13% (n = 749) identified with suspected cataract and identified with other complex eye diseases had been referred for further diagnosis to tertiary care hospitals and/or community health centres.
4.Eyeglasses distribution: 91% (n = 3,256) of all population identified with refractive error/presbyopia received eyeglasses; Reading Glasses: 57% (n= 1,868) and Prescription (Rx) Glasses: 43% (n = 1,388).
5. First Time Wearers (FTWs): 90% (n = 2,943) of the people who received their eyeglasses got their first ever pair of eyeglasses through the eye-screening program.
6. Post-coverage rate in the population was 91%.

Please Note: 5,780 eye-screenings have been conducted from February 2021 onwards and till the end of March 2021. 3,256 eyeglasses have been provided so far. The program is currently ongoing.

Testimonial:

Name: Dulari Tati
Gender: Female
Age: 41 Years
Occupation: Tea Leaf Picker
Location: Lamabari Tea Estate, Lamabari Village, Assam, India

Dulari had been working in the Lamabari Tea Estate for the last 10 years. She came to know about the vision screenings and the eyeglasses outreach program through the tea garden supervisor. Dulari visited the vision screenings and the eyeglasses outreach program as she was having difficulty in seeing clearly while picking/plucking tea leaves. She was also struggling in threading needle as well as sorting stones from rice. She was provided reading glasses for her near vision problem after proper counselling. She was given an opportunity to select her eyeglasses from a variety of shapes and designs. She was very happy to get her reading glasses as she was able to see clearly and be more productive at her work.

H. Improving the lives and educational outcomes of children across India through the provision of eyeglasses.

Background and Scope:

VSF associated with multiple mission-aligned organizations/bodies such as the National Programme for Control of Blindness & Visual Impairment (NPCBVI), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India (Mizoram, Maharashtra, Sikkim, and Karnataka), Manavta Foundation (Vadodara, Gujarat), Community Eye Care Foundation (Pune, Maharashtra), and others across the states of Delhi, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, West Bengal, Mizoram, and Sikkim in India to provide eyeglasses to the children who required them. A total of 7,953 children were provided eyeglasses through this initiative. This enabled these children to see clearly and would lead to enhancement of their educational outcomes as 80% of all learning is through vision. This initiative would help children actively participate in school and would contribute to making their future bright.

Programs/Projects Undertaken between 1st January 2021 and 31st March 2021:

A. Improving the lives and productivity of weavers and artisans in East and South East Delhi through COVID-19 response and readiness, COVID-19 safe eye-screenings, and provision of eyeglasses

Background and Scope:

VisionSpring Foundation (VSF) is working actively for the COVID-19 response and readiness with the Government of India and other stakeholders to protect the people of our nation from the pandemic. VSF associated with the Gautam Gambhir Foundation for this program. VSF identified weavers and artisans, their families, and associated communities and organized COVID-19 response activities in East and South East Delhi. After making the locations COVID-19 ready, VSF conducted eye-screenings with the COVID-19 safe protocols. Eyeglasses were provided to those who required them and those with complex eye diseases were referred to the Government/other hospitals in the area for further diagnosis and treatment. Mostly the areas of Kalyanpuri, Trilokpuri, Khichdipur, and Okhla in Delhi were covered.

Results:

* COVID-19 Response and Readiness

1. Training on hand hygiene, mask wearing, and social distancing protocols.

2. Distribution of hygiene kits (consisting of soap, detergent, masks, and information/awareness material) to 9,000 members of the weaver and artisan communities and their households. A total of 43,823 people were touched by the initiative

3. Installation of 12 handwashing stations at different locations.

* Eye-Screenings

1. Conducted eye-screenings of 9,000 people from the weaver and artisan communities and their households with COVID-19 safe protocols, followed by the distribution of 4,696 eyeglasses to those who required them.
2. Those with complex eye diseases were referred to the Government and other hospitals in the area for further diagnosis and treatment.

Eye-Screening Statistics:

1. Distribution of people screened: Screened a total of 9,183 people from the weaver and artisan communities. Among them, 52% (n = 4,750) were males and 48% (n = 4,433) were females.
2. Refractive error (poor vision) rate among the screened population: 63% (n = 5,778) of all the screened individuals identified with refractive error/presbyopia.
3. Referrals made for the screened population: 13% (n = 1,202) identified with suspected cataract and with other complex eye diseases. These people were referred to nearby hospitals.
4. Eyeglasses distribution: 81% (n = 4,696) of all population identified with refractive error/presbyopia received eyeglasses; 5. 5. Reading Glasses: 48% (n = 2,263) and Prescription (Rx) Glasses: 52% (n = 2,433).
5. First Time Wearers (FTWs): 60% (n = 2,810) of the people who received their eyeglasses got their first ever pair of eyeglasses through the eye-screening program.
6. Post-coverage rate in the population was 81%.

Please Note: 3,654 eye-screenings were conducted from 1st January 2021 to 31st March 2021. Rest of the 5,529 eye-screenings were conducted in the previous quarter(s).

Testimonial:

Name: Avirup
Gender: Male
Age: 7 years

Avirup lives in a Kolkata slum and visited the eye-screening outreach. He had vision-related issues. He shared that he did not like to read as he found it difficult to concentrate and often got headaches. Avirup’s parents are daily wage earners and lack awareness on the need for clear vision and cannot afford eyeglasses. Avirup was happy to get his eyeglasses and said that he would wear them regularly.

Testimonial:

Name: Sushil Gupta
Gender: Male
Age: 38 Years
Occupation: Helper in Packing Unit, Radnik Exports, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India

Sushil belongs to the Hazipur village in Punjab, India, and has been working as a helper from past 2.5 years in the packaging unit of Radnik Exports. He came to know about the Clear Vision Workplaces program through the floor announcements made in the factory a day prior to the outreach program. His Floor Supervisor and the Factory Welfare Officer encouraged all the factory workers to get their vision checked through this program. He registered himself and got his vision checked as he was having blurry near vision and had difficulty in reading packaging labels and carton contents, checking his mobile phone, and conducting other activities that required near vision. He was also suffering from frequent headaches and itchy and watery eyes.

Sushil expressed his appreciation for the VisionSpring Foundation team for educating him on the COVID-19 safety protocols. He was screened for vision and was prescribed a pair of reading glasses for his near vision problem and he received the same after proper counselling. On wear his eyeglasses, Sushil could instantly see clearly and was absolutely thrilled to experience the gift of clear vision. He was thankful that now he would be able to be more productive and efficient at work.

Testimonial:

Name: Kamla Devi
Gender: Female
Age: 42 Years
Occupation: Spinner
Location: Dilapur Village, Rajasthan, India

Kamla came to know about the vision screenings and eyeglasses distribution outreach program through her husband, who had attended the same earlier and brought her to get her vision checked as she was having difficulty in seeing clearly while doing her spinning work. This led to quality issues at work for her.

Kamla Devi shared that she was very happy with the way the VSF team introduced her to the handwashing protocols and educated her on how to wash her hands for 20 seconds as per the WHO guidelines. She was extremely grateful to the VSF team for making her aware of the benefits of handwashing as a part of the COVID-19 safety precautions.

Kamla was screened for vision and was prescribed a pair of reading glasses for her near vision problem and she received the same after proper counselling. She was able to see clearly with her reading glasses and was thankful that now she would be able to be more productive at work and will be able to perform the spinning work efficiently, comfortably, and independently.

Testimonial:

Name: Binoy Meher
Gender: Male
Age: 46 Years
Occupation: Weaver
Location: Durgapali Weaver Cluster, Bargarh District,Odisha, India

Binoy had been working as a weaver for more than 26 years. He came to know about the vision screenings and eyeglasses distribution outreach program through his friend, who suggested him to get registered and get his vision checked as he was having difficulty in seeing clearly while doing his intricate weaving work. Due to poor vision, he had to take frequent breaks from his work.

Binoy shared that he was very impressed with the way the VSF team introduced him to the handwashing protocols and educated him on how to wash his hands for 20 seconds as per the WHO guidelines. The VSF team made him aware of the benefits of handwashing as a part of the COVID-19 safety precautions. He was screened for vision and was prescribed a pair of reading glasses for his near vision problem and Binoy received the same after proper counselling. Binoy was able to see clearly with his reading glasses and was thankful that now he would be able to be more productive at work and will be able to perform his intricate weaving work efficiently, comfortably, and independently.

Testimonial:

Name: Sanjeev Kumar
Gender: Male
Age: 44 Years
Occupation: Weaver
Location: Legon Ki Dhani Village Weaver Cluster, Barmer, Rajasthan, India

Sanjeev came to know about the vision screenings and the eyeglasses outreach program through his neighbor. He visited the eye-screening outreach as he was having problems in seeing clearly while doing intricate weaving work. He was also struggling with reading the newspaper. He shared that he was very impressed with the way the VSF team introduced him to handwashing protocols and educated him on how to wash his hands for 20 seconds as per the WHO guidelines. The team made him aware of the benefits of handwashing to protect him from COVID-19.

He was screened for vision and was prescribed a pair of reading glasses for his near vision problem and he received the same after proper counselling. Sanjeev mentioned that for the last 5 years he had been struggling with his weak eyesight and that had hampered his productivity at work. He sometimes had to take the help of his family members in sorting things in his weaving work as he could not see clearly.

After wearing his new reading glasses, Sanjeev felt as if he had regained his old eyesight and was confident that he would be able to work consistently without seeking support from anyone. He expressed his happiness and was thankful to the VSF team for conducting the vision screenings and the eyeglasses distribution outreach program in his village and for helping him and many other weavers in that dhani to get the gift of clear vision through eyeglasses.

Testimonial:

Name: Chiranderjeet Singh
Gender: Male
Age: 56 Years
Occupation: Farmer
Location: Dialpura Village, Punjab, India

Chiranderjeet came to know about the vision screenings and eyeglasses distribution outreach program through the announcements made at the nearby Gurudwara. He registered himself and got his vision checked as he was suffering from blurry near vision and was having difficulty while reading newspapers, checking his mobile phone, and conducting other intricate tasks. He was also suffering from frequent headaches and watery eyes.

Chiranderjeet expressed his appreciation for the VSF team for educating him on the handwashing protocols on how to wash his hands for 20 seconds as per the WHO guidelines. He was extremely grateful to the VSF team for making him aware of the benefits of all the COVID-19 safety precautions, such as wearing mask, washing hands, and maintaining social distancing.

Chiranderjeet was screened for vision and was prescribed a pair of reading glasses for his near vision problem and he received the same after proper counselling. Chiranderjeet was able to see clearly with his reading glasses and was thankful that now he would be able to be more productive at work and will be able to perform his daily activities with efficiency and comfort.

Testimonial:

Name: Rakesh Kumar
Gender: Male
Age: 46 Years
Occupation: Weaver
Location: Madanpur Khadar, South-East Delhi, Delhi, India

Rakesh Kumar belongs to Madanpur Khadar in South-East Delhi and he has been working as a weaver for more than 17 years. But due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he has been facing a lot of financial difficulties as there is not much work. He had to look for alternative means to support his family’s needs and is now selling vegetables.

He could not see near vision objects clearly and struggled to manage his accounting work. Both as a weaver and as a vegetable seller, he could not do any intricate work properly due to blurred vision. This caused him a lot of stress.

Rakesh visited the eye-screenings and eyeglasses distribution outreach program with his neighbour and got his vision checked. He received a pair of reading glasses and is now able to see near vision objects clearly. His life was positively changed instantly!

B. Improving the lives and productivity of weavers and artisans in Barmer, Rajasthan, through COVID-19 safe eye-screenings and provision of eyeglasses

Background and Scope:

VisionSpring Foundation (VSF) identified weavers and artisans, their families, and associated communities in Barmer, Rajasthan. VSF associated with the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH) and the Gramin Vikas Evam Chetan Sansthan (GVCS) for this program. After making the locations COVID-19 ready, VSF conducted eye-screenings with the COVID-19 safe protocols. 18,497 weavers and their households were screened for vision and 10,903 eyeglasses were provided to those who required them and those with complex eye diseases were referred to the Government and other hospitals in the area for further diagnosis and treatment. The objective was to make Barmer a Clear Vision Cluster and make it a Model Cluster for other such weaver and artisan clusters around the country to emulate.

Eye-Screening Statistics:

1. Distribution of people screened: Screened a total of 18,497 weavers and their household members in the weaver clusters (dhanis) of Barmer district of Rajasthan, India. Among them, 56% (n = 10,317) were males and 44% (n = 8,180) were females.
2. Refractive error (poor vision) rate among the screened population: 62% (n = 11,445) of all the screened individuals identified with refractive error/presbyopia.
3. Referrals made for the screened population: 12% (n = 2,135) identified with suspected cataract and 2% (n = 441) identified with other complex eye diseases had been referred for further diagnosis to tertiary care hospitals such as the Netra Jyoti Chikitsalaya in Barmer.
4. Eyeglasses distribution: 95% (n = 10,903) of all population identified with refractive error/presbyopia received eyeglasses; Reading Glasses: 52% (n = 5,620) and Prescription (Rx) Glasses: 48% (n = 5,283).
5. First Time Wearers (FTWs): 90% (n = 9,830) of the people who received their eyeglasses got their first ever pair of eyeglasses through the eye-screening program.
6. Post-coverage rate in the population was 95%.

Please Note: 9,870 eye-screenings were conducted from 1st January 2021 to 31st March 2021. Rest of the 8,627 eye-screenings were conducted in the previous quarter(s).

F. Improving the lives and productivity of the communities in Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh through COVID-19 safe eye-screenings and provision of eyeglasses

Background and Scope:

To conduct the eye screenings of community members and provide eyeglasses to those who require them. VisionSpring Foundation has been conducting the vision screenings and eyeglasses distribution outreach program in Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh.

Eye-Screening Statistics:

1.Distribution of people screened: Screened a total of 6,072 community members. Among them, 41% (n = 2,489) were males and 59% (n = 3,583) were females.
2. Refractive error (poor vision) rate among the screened population: 61% (n = 3,692) of all the screened individuals identified with refractive error/presbyopia.
3. Referrals made for the screened population: 5% (n = 321) identified with suspected cataract and 1% (n = 80) identified with other complex eye diseases had been referred for further diagnosis to tertiary care hospitals and/or community health centres.
4.Eyeglasses distribution: 89% (n = 3,281) of all population identified with refractive error/presbyopia received eyeglasses; Reading Glasses: 48% (n = 1,583) and Prescription (Rx) Glasses: 52% (n = 1,698).
5. First Time Wearers (FTWs): 73% (n = 2,384) of the people who received their eyeglasses got their first ever pair of eyeglasses through the eye-screening program.
6. Post-coverage rate in the population was 89%.

Please Note: 4,667 eye-screenings have been done from January 2021 till end of March 2021. 2,325 eyeglasses have been provided. The program is currently ongoing.

G. Improving the quality of lives, productivity, and safety of the workers by conducting COVID-19 safe eye-screenings and providing eyeglasses in the factories of Delhi NCR

Background and Scope: The Clear Vision Workplaces program for factory workers is designed to increase the coverage of vision screening and eyeglasses wearing for working-age adults in India. This would lead to increased productivity, enhanced quality, and greater worker happiness. VisionSpring Foundation conducted vision screenings at 28 factories

C. Improving the lives and productivity of tea garden workers and tea tribes in Assam through COVID-19 safe eye-screenings and provision of eyeglasses

Background and Scope:

VSF identified tea garden workers, their families, and associated tea tribes in Assam. After making the locations COVID-19 ready, VSF conducted eye-screenings of 9,158 of the tea-pickers and their household members in the Borjan, Nahorani, and Lamabari Tea Estates in Assam, India, with the COVID-19 safe protocols in place. 4,882 eyeglasses were provided to those who required them and those with complex eye diseases were referred to the Government and other hospitals in the area for further diagnosis and treatment.

Eye-Screening Statistics:

1. Distribution of people screened: Screened a total of 9,158 tea garden workers and their household members in the Borjan, Nahorani and Lamabari Tea Estates, Assam, India. Among them, 51% (n = 4,667) were males and 49% (n = 4,491) were females.
2. Refractive error (poor vision) rate among the screened population: 60% (n = 5,469) of all the screened individuals identified with refractive error/presbyopia.
3. Referrals made for the screened population: 11% (n = 1030) identified with suspected cataract and with other complex eye diseases had been referred for further diagnosis to tertiary care hospitals and/or community health centres.
4. Eyeglasses distribution: 89% (n = 4,882) of all population identified with refractive error/presbyopia received eyeglasses; Reading Glasses: 56% (n = 2,731) and Prescription (Rx) Glasses: 44% (n = 2,151).
5. First Time Wearers (FTWs): 90% (n=4,336) of the people who received their eyeglasses got their first ever pair of eyeglasses through the eye-screening program.
6. Post-coverage rate in the population was 89%.

Please Note: 3,130 eye-screenings were conducted from 1st January 2021 to 31st March 2021. Rest of the 6,028 eye-screenings were conducted in the previous quarter(s).

Activity Report - FCRA (Prior Permission)

FCRA (Prior Permission)