Faces We Won’t Forget: Highlights from Tanzania and Kenya

Seven years ago, having your eyes tested and getting glasses was very difficult in Tanzania. The few optometrists there were—one for every 250,000 people—were out of reach for the country’s mostly rural population. 

To create much-needed access to vision care, the SKYGEN International Foundation began bringing free vision testing and prescription eyeglasses to Tanzania through mobile clinics. We reached a milestone this year: As of November 30th, we’ve given 337,371 vision tests and distributed 107,111 free pairs of prescription glasses, reading glasses and sunglasses in Tanzania and Kenya. We’ve also added wellness testing to our services. 

Watch the video to see this story unfold!

Moments of Clarity and Gratitude
Early on in this mission, the Foundation hired and trained a local team to carry out this work and make access to vision care more sustainable. However, our team still travels to Tanzania and Kenya annually to pitch in with mobile clinics, and we’re joined by volunteers Dr. Ken Rose and Dr. Brian McGinley—so grateful for their service and exceptional care. It’s incredibly rewarding for us to see the wonder and smiles on the faces of Tanzanians and Kenyans of all ages when the world comes into focus for them.

This year, it became very clear that the word is spreading! Our first day in Tanzania, we tested 228 people and gave out 200 pairs of glasses, plus toothbrush-toothpaste kits. This is significant because the first day is usually the slowest.

Clear Vision is for Everyone
Another day in Tanzania, we tested 319 people for vision, gave out 296 pairs of glasses, and saw another 23 people for wellness screenings. In Kenya, we tested 328 people, and gave away 307 pairs of prescription glasses. People of all ages and families came together for vision care, many for the first time in their lives.

Help Us Give the Gift of Sight
These trips have shown us that progress is real, meaningful, and life-changing—but far from finished. As long as families line up for care they cannot access anywhere else, our mission remains. We’re asking for support not because we’ve completed the work, but because there is still so much good to be done. A $5 donation helps us bring clarity to a life; a $500 gift can provide vision tests and glasses for a small school of 222 students.

The need is still there—will you help us continue to meet it? Donate today!