Shaping Vision

The project Shaping Vision aims to provide free eye care to students from underprivileged backgrounds. Most urban school children in India wear glasses, yet few kids from rural areas do. In India, 41% of young people under 18 need corrective vision treatment but lack access or funds. Many don’t realize they need treatment because they have never had a vision exam. When left undetected, weak eyesight is often mistaken as a child’s inability to read and write.

Global Shapers Chandigarh Hub partnered with vision specialists, hospitals and eyeglass vendors, and collaborated with the National Service Scheme (NSS) to build a model outreach programme for vision treatment in rural areas. The goal of Shaping Vision is to boost academic achievement through proper vision care. So far, the project has led to the examination of 5,400 students in 5 schools. A total of 990 students were determined to need spectacles, which the programme provided free of charge.