Vision care in this country can be inaccessible to a great many residents. All children needing spectacles locally need to purchase them privately, which can be prohibitive for many families. That’s why in 2019—for the first time ever – OneSight traveled to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia to serve over 1,700 school children in need alongside ORBIS and the Mongolian Ophthalmologists Society.
From September 16 – 20, the OneSight Mongolia team brought our charitable clinic to life using a nimble kitting approach – a collection of lightweight, mobile gear that allows us to go to more remote areas without prohibitive shipping costs – and the manpower of 27 volunteers. The days were long and the conditions were challenging, but our team of passionate volunteers worked hard to screen 1,733 patients.
Over the course of the four day clinic, stories like that of Davaajargal continued to emerge. At 10 years old, she had never worn a pair of prescription glasses and couldn’t imagine a future in which she’d be able to see clearly. She says, “In class I had to sit at the very front of the classroom, but if the teacher went too fast I would miss a lot of things for my homework. I have to hold my books very close and sometimes cannot keep up with the rest of the class in school. I love to draw and paint because I can sit close to my paper and see it clearly.”
Following this successful inaugural clinic, OneSight has plans to return to Mongolia alongside partners in 2020 to assist even more people in need. We’ll be approaching this need by way of further charitable clinics & exploring how we can help bring our sustainable model to this country in the future.
OneSight is continuously looking for ways to expand our reach to every person and part of the world. Join our goal to #HelpTheWorldSee by donating $30 to provide an eye exam and a pair of glasses to someone in need.