https://givingsight.org/news/2023-projects-supported/

Every year, organizations around the world submit proposals to Optometry Giving Sight with a shared conviction: that access to primary eye care shouldn’t depend on where you were born. This year, 21 projects have been awarded grants, and the breadth of what they represent is nothing short of remarkable.

Eleven years. That’s how long Dr. Doris Wong and her team have shown up for the World Sight Day Challenge — and they’re not slowing down.

For Dr. Echharam and the team at North Toronto Vision Care, the World Sight Day Challenge isn’t just an annual fundraising event; it’s an annual reminder of why they do what they do.

The World Sight Day Challenge has always been a community effort — but “community” in this context means something bigger than any single participant.

Every dollar raised during the World Sight Day Challenge goes to work for the mission. OGS is a lean, efficient organization, which means that funds raised support everything that makes the work possible — from the grants that reach patients on the ground, to the infrastructure that ensures those grants are awarded wisely and managed well.

As a Gold-level partner of Optometry Giving Sight, Conexiant Vision brings more than reach. They bring a deep understanding of the community at the heart of this mission.

Some of the most important work that OGS funds doesn’t make headlines. It just keeps going, through hurricanes, across island chains, one child’s eye exam at a time. This month, two grantees remind us what that kind of commitment looks like on the ground.

Dr. Angelica Villa has been helping OGS to give sight since 2009. A Vision Source doctor based in Chula Vista, she has supported the World Sight Day Challenge and recently joined TEAM OGS, deepening a commitment that was already nearly two decades in the making.

Optometry Giving Sight (OGS) is pleased to announce the appointment of Javier Prada-López, OD, to its Board of Directors.

Optometry Giving Sight (OGS) is pleased to announce the appointment of Javier Prada-López, OD, to its Board of Directors.

Two of the optical industry’s most respected names have found common ground in a shared conviction: that access to quality vision care has the power to transform lives.

Doctors Vision Group supports Optometry Giving Sight through our TEAM OGS program by donating a portion of every pair of glasses sold. Through the Pick-a-Pair initiative, each purchase helps fund sustainable vision care around the world.

Sustainable vision care requires two things working in parallel: the systems that make eye care accessible, and the people with the skills and conviction to build and defend those systems. Two OGS-funded projects illustrate exactly that — one laying the groundwork for a national eye health plan in Zanzibar, the other training the next generation of optometry advocates across six continents.

Optometry Giving Sight (OGS) is pleased to announce the appointment of Javier Prada-López, OD, to its Board of Directors.

Through a generous in-kind partnership, Jobson helps OGS stay top-of-mind across this distinguished network, fostering an ongoing presence in the publications optometrists read every day.

Some partnerships are built in a single dramatic moment. This one was built over nearly twenty years of steady support from Oxford Eye Clinic. When we reached out for a quote, the team at Oxford Eye Clinic gave us far more than we expected — a heartfelt reflection on exactly why this work matters to them.

Updates from four very different projects with a single throughline: the establishment and strengthening of optometry schools themselves. Spanning Nigeria, Nepal, Vietnam, and a network of Francophone countries, these stories showcase the deliberate work of building academic institutions capable of producing optometrists long after any single grant ends.

PECAA has been a committed partner of Optometry Giving Sight since 2017, and in that time, they’ve found a way to make global giving a natural extension of what their members already do.

For two decades, Dr. Tom Wilk, Dr. Michele Naruszewicz, and the entire team at Mountain View Optometry have shown up for the World Sight Day Challenge, year after year, without fail. Since 2006, they’ve raised more than $93,000 for sustainable vision care around the world. More than donations, they’ve built a legacy.

Every donation to Optometry Giving Sight funds two kinds of impact: the patient who receives an exam or a pair of glasses today, and the optometrist who will provide that care for decades to come. Many of our funded projects include an education component — here’s a closer look at four whose training work is particularly central to their mission.

Two of Optometry Giving Sight’s recent grants are funding vision centers in India and Somalia, which demonstrate how establishing sustainable vision centers can transform the health of a community for generations.

CooperVision, a global leader in manufacturing innovative contact lenses, has been a steadfast champion for Optometry Giving Sight (OGS) since the initiative’s inception.

For the team at Hillsboro Vision Clinic, supporting Optometry Giving Sight isn’t a once-a-year gesture — it’s woven into how they do business. Dr. Drew Perry gives monthly, contributes quarterly through PECAA, and in 2025 was one of OGS’s largest...

For the team at Henderson Vision Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, supporting Optometry Giving Sight isn’t a new initiative; it’s simply part of who they are.

CooperVision, a global leader in manufacturing innovative contact lenses, has been a steadfast champion for Optometry Giving Sight (OGS) since the initiative’s inception.

For more than 15 years, Dr. Lee Dodge has been a dedicated supporter of OGS. A donor since 2010, Dr. Dodge has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to global eye health through consistent contributions, including his current role as a monthly TEAM OGS donor and a quarterly PECAA donor.

No one should have to wait in pain. Ismail finally found the relief he needed through a comprehensive examination and proper treatment—provided at no cost to him, thanks to a project funded in part by Optometry Giving Sight (OGS).

Two of Optometry Giving Sight’s recent grants are funding vision centers in India and Somalia, which demonstrate how establishing sustainable vision centers can transform the health of a community for generations.

Optometry Giving Sight (OGS) announced the appointment of Tony Sommer to its Board of Directors, bringing with him extensive leadership experience in specialty vision care, medical technology, and organizational growth

Infoptic Media, formerly known as Breton Communications, has generously provided complimentary media services to Optometry Giving Sight for more than 15 years. In 2025 alone, Infoptic contributed $33,000 in in-kind support.

Optometry Giving Sight awarded a grant to Special Olympics to expand its Opening Eyes program to improve vision care access for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) across Ghana, the US, and Latin America.

TerraCycle has supported Optometry Giving Sight since 2017 through its collaboration with Bausch + Lomb and the launch of the ONE by ONE Recycling Program. Since the program began, TerraCycle Recycling Rewards totaling the equivalent of $282,000 have been donated to OGS, and TerraCycle has proudly served as an Optometry Giving Sight Gold partner since 2023.

Queensway Optometric Centre in Mississauga, ON proudly led the way as the top fundraising optometry practice in North America for the 2025 World Sight Day Challenge, raising an impressive $10,900.

For the students at Umyezo Wama Apile Primary School in rural Grabouw, access to eye care is challenging. That changed with African Eye Institute’s One School at a Time (OSaaT) outreach program, supported by an OGS grant.

Bausch + Lomb has been a platinum partner of Optometry Giving Sight since 2016. Bausch + Lomb has contributed nearly $1.2 million to Optometry Giving Sight, helping to positively impact tens of thousands of people worldwide.

Optical Image of Swift Current, Saskatchewan didn’t just participate in this year’s World Sight Day Challenge (WSDC) –– they rocked! The team rallied their community, raised vital funds for Optometry Giving Sight, and topped it all off by winning our first‑ever WSDC Thumbs‑Up Throwdown social media contest.

In 2025, Optometry Giving Sight awarded a grant to Vision for the Poor to train 14 optometry technicians as primary care optometrists. A key strength of this initiative is the empowerment of indigenous optometrists to serve both urban and rural communities.

Thanks to the generosity of donors, 14-year-old Abdiwali received free treatment for his eye condition through a grant from Optometry Giving Sight. And, today, he sees the world with much less pain—and much more possibility. Donate today to help more people like Abdiwali.

Optometry Giving Sight (OGS) announced the appointment of Tony Sommer to its Board of Directors, bringing with him extensive leadership experience in specialty vision care, medical technology, and organizational growth

Thanks to the generosity and spirit of optometry professionals, students, and business partners throughout Canada and the United States, the 2025 World Sight Day Challenge became one of Optometry Giving Sight’s (OGS) most impactful yet. We are deeply grateful to everyone who took part in this year’s Challenge. The passion and commitment shown by the optometry community served as a powerful reminder of what’s possible when people unite for a cause.

For decades, National Vision and 20/20 Quest have supported Optometry Giving Sight (OGS), reflecting shared goals of advancing the optometry profession and building sustainable vision care systems. In February 2025, 20/20 Quest awarded a $25,000 grant to OGS to help expand access to care and strengthen optometry’s global impact. We thank National Vision for its support.

Optometry Giving Sight proudly hosted its inaugural Brien Holden Founders Award Dinner in Boston, bringing together members of the optometry community to celebrate the enduring legacy of Professor Brien Holden. The evening served as a heartfelt tribute to his pioneering work in global eye care and recognized the first recipients of the Brien Holden Founders Award: Dr. Greg Pearl and CooperVision.

The generous support of our donors has enabled Optometry Giving Sight (OGS) to award grants totaling nearly $1 million USD in 2025 to fund the following projects, designed to provide both short-term and long-term, sustainable solutions to the issue of uncorrected refractive error globally. In all, 24 grants were awarded to 21 organizations.

To support its mission to eradicate uncorrected refractive error through the growth and expansion of optometry around the world, Optometry Giving Sight (OGS) has issued its 2025 World Sight Day Challenge. Held in conjunction with World Sight Day, the Challenge will take place from September 1 through October 31. World Sight Day is celebrated on October 9.

VuePoint IDS is proud to announce the renewal and expansion of its partnership with Optometry Giving Sight (OGS) for 2025. This professional in-kind service announcement commitment from VuePoint to help further OGS’s mission of eradicating preventable blindness and vision impairment around the world.

Thank you to the following practices, which have recently joined TEAM OGS, our year-round patient and staff-focussed fundraising initiative! TEAM OGS is an easy, impactful way for your practice to become part of our global community of professionals who are passionate about ensuring that everyone, everywhere, has access to eye care and enjoy the gift of good vision. TEAM OGS – because, Together Eyecare Achieves Miracles!

For Fiona Buckmaster, optometry is more than a profession—it’s a calling. Thanks to support from Optometry Giving Sight, she has been able to bring her expertise to Vietnam, where she is shaping the next generation of optometrists.

At just seven years old, Syamthanda’s world was blurry—literally. Like many children at Sunnyvale Primary in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, she had never had an eye exam. She struggled in class, squinting to read her assignments, falling behind despite her bright mind. But, thanks to a grant from Optometry Giving Sight, Syamthanda is thriving in school and at home!

Optometry Giving Sight (OGS) proudly announces that CooperVision, Inc. and Dr. Greg Pearl, OD, have been selected as the recipients of its first-ever Brien Holden Founders Awards. These prestigious honors, established in memory of Professor Brien Holden, PhD, the late founder of OGS, celebrate those who have made remarkable, impactful contributions to advancing global vision care.

Optometry Giving Sight (OGS) is pleased to announce that Dr. Susan Cooper has been named the recipient of the World Optometry Council’s (WCO) 2025 Distinguished Service Award in Memory of Dr. Uduak Udom.