A New Vision For Bangladesh

BRAC’s Health Program currently reaches over 92 million people and has been integral to improving health and nutrition in Bangladesh. At the heart of this program are BRAC’s nearly 70,000 community health volunteers who provide vital health education and health-related products in their respective villages. After successful campaigns to spread Oral Rehydration Therapy techniques and help control tuberculosis, these health volunteers are now being trained and equipped to take on vision through an exciting partnership between BRAC and VisionSpring.

VisionSpring, founded by Dr. Jordan Kassalow, is an innovative social enterprise that aims to reduce poverty and generate opportunity in the developing world through the sale of affordable eyeglasses. BRAC and VisionSpring have partnered since 2006 to train nearly 600 BRAC community health volunteers on how to conduct vision exams and sell affordable glasses in their local villages. Over 12,000 glasses have been sold to date.

But why are glasses so important? In the developing world, eyeglasses are primarily available in high-priced urban shops, thus the rural poor lack an accessible and affordable option. However, glasses are a crucial tool for daily living, especially after the age of 40. Without glasses, weavers cannot set their looms, farmers cannot sort seeds before planting, artisans cannot see enough detail to create intricate designs. A drop in productivity and income among middle-aged workers, many of whom support both children and elderly parents, can push already-vulnerable families over the edge, therefore, an accessible and affordable glasses solution is critical.

Given the success of the two year pilot, BRAC and VisionSpring hope to scale up this program to include the entire network of community health volunteers and cover every district in Bangladesh. Within a few years the partnership could help distribute millions of glasses each year, creating a ripple effect of economic improvement in the Bangladesh’s poorest communities.

Click here to learn more about VisionSpring.
Click here to learn more about BRAC's Health Program.