Pride in Ownership

My name is Precious Chisebuka-Julius, and I am the Country Manager for OneSight’s work in Zambia. For the past year, I have been working with government officials, including Her Royal Highness Senior Chieftaness Nkomeshya Mukamambo II to identify a solution to provide all our citizens with access to consistent, high-quality eyecare and eyewear.

We realized that in order to create a self-sustaining solution, we would need to sell glasses, not just give them away. By providing affordable glasses, we believe that our citizens will not only value them but they will feel empowered by them. When I spoke with Her Royal Highness, she put it this way: “when you pay for something, you value it.” The people of Zambia will feel empowered by their purchase and I feel proud to help make that possible.

The Ready Set See Challenge will help us build a new vision center and pave the way for better access and affordable care for everyone here in Zambia.

Building sustainable solutions

When and where it’s possible, we work to help build self-sufficient vision care solutions. Like many other African nations, Zambia’s barriers to vision care access begin with a lack of awareness about why clear eyesight matters so much. Add to that a regionally high price tag on exams and glasses—and the inability for many people to travel from rural areas to city centers—and the challenges for our volunteers, partners, and community members become clear. Our strategic approach to solving them and providing access to care includes outreach and the establishment of both district vision centers and manufacturing capabilities.