Optical Express

Project New Vision

Glasgow the Caring City alongside Optical Express, one of the UK leading Opticians, have come together to form a unique partners which values visual health as a route out of poverty.

The project, which started in 2007, involves Optical Express supporting Glasgow the Caring City and our partners at ARM in Burundi to provide a small but nonetheless vital optical clinic in the Bujumbura region.

Donated spectacles are categorized, tested and distributed free of charge via our local clinics returning sight to the most at risk communities within Burundi.

Also to benefit from the project has been communities in Uganda, Sudan, Zambia and Malawi. The idea, which is overall very simple to implement, cost efficient and high impact, was the brain child of GtCC volunteer Neil Wilkinson who was compelled to help after seeing the improvements made in the lives of children living in Sri Lanka, through another of GtCC projects, and the simplicity of the system.

In the coming months and through continued investment by the core projects partners we hope to expand the programme into areas of eastern Congo as well as procuring new, modern, testing equipment to bring our systems right up to speed.

Project New Vision is an exciting and high value initiative from two of Scotland leading organisation.