A Vision That Lasts: SKYGEN International Foundation Celebrates 7 Years of Testing Eyes and Changing Lives

This year the SKYGEN International Foundation celebrates its 7th anniversary with some big milestones: Our 314,000th vision test provided in Tanzania and Kenya; the 92,000th pair of glasses given; oral health education that’s reached 517,650 people, and the 383,000th toothcare kit given.

“We’ve learned a lot over the past seven years since our first trip.  It makes reaching the people and complying with government requirements easier,” says Foundation Executive Director Lisa Sweeney.  “But think about this: If you’ve never been able to see well, how do you know what you are missing? Seeing the joy, the huge smiles, and the deep gratitude on people’s faces when they first try on their new glasses—their happiness is hard to put into words. Seeing the need and the life-changing potential is what drives us to continue expanding our capacity for vision and dental care.” 

Mobile Vision Clinics Reach People in Rural Areas
From the Foundation’s first clinic to its 275th this year, our mobile vision clinics provide access to vision care and prescription glasses to people in rural villages. Some have walked hours to reach us, including the elderly and the very young. After the enormous numbers of people who came to the clinics in our first year, we hired and trained a local team to continue this work year-round. 

Bringing Learning into Focus
It was on a trip to Tanzania that SKYGEN International Foundation founder Craig Kasten first realized many students had trouble seeing their lessons and the chalkboard. That realization inspired the Foundation’s creation and charter vision care project in Tanzania. Under Lisa’s leadership, the Foundation has made vision testing in schools a special focus. In 7 years of mobile clinics at 784 schools, we’ve tested 198,200 students and 8,135 teachers, and distributed 15,860 pairs of prescription glasses, reading glasses and sunglasses in these learning communities.

Adding Permanent Vision Clinic Locations
In our 3rd year, we partnered with NSK Hospital in Arusha to launch a full-fledged vision department inside the hospital, where our dedicated full-time optometrist and part-time ophthalmologist helped about 120 people every month see their world more clearly. In our 4th year, we opened the Maji ya Chai Optometry Clinic just outside Arusha. This clinic is one of the first of its kind in the area, offering vital vision screenings and serving as a key referral point for patients who need more specialized care. 

Expanding into Oral Health Education and Care
As we expanded vision care into Kenya in our 5th year, we saw that access to oral health care in both countries is also extremely limited. “Through a partnership with Miracle Corners Tanzania, we worked with recent Dental Therapist graduates in three six-month fellowship programs,” says Lisa. “Fellows were provided training in community outreach and leadership, and were tasked with oral health education in underserved areas. In total we had 49 fellows who reached almost 450,000 community members in at least twelve different areas of Tanzania.  The teams also did 164,663 screening services, referred 46,816 people for treatments and provided 191,515 toothbrushes and toothpaste, which were donated by Colgate. Seventy percent of the graduates are continuing the community work post-fellowship. The best part is the people we’ve reached now better understand the importance of oral health and its impact on their physical health.”

Clear Vision Changes Lives: Can You Help Us Make It Happen?
In our first 7 years, we’ve given the gift of clearer vision to people of all ages from all walks of life in Tanzania and Kenya. Students can study more effectively, adults can do their work more safely, and grandparents can read their hymnals and texts from their grandchildren. 

Thanks to the generosity of our donors and partners, people are getting access to the vision care, eyeglasses, and oral health care they need. Help us continue this work by making a gift today!

About the SKYGEN International Foundation

Our mission is to find cost effective ways to improve healthcare in underserved parts of the world by using emerging technologies. The SKYGEN International Foundation works to deliver life-changing healthcare benefits to those without them due to cost and/or lack of access to care and technology.