See the board. Read the page. Keep learning.
A child who can't see the blackboard can look like a child who isn't trying. An eye test and the right pair of glasses can change that. See to Learn arranges both, and makes sure the glasses get worn.
Our first screening is being planned. You can already give to See to Learn. It is funded as a program, so no child's glasses are listed on a child's profile.
From eye test to wearing them every day
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Screening, once a year
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A proper eye test
A child who needs a closer look gets a full test from a licensed optometrist. Only licensed professionals prescribe.
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Glasses, paid by Saath Foundation
We order the glasses from an approved optician and pay the optician ourselves. Your gift comes to Saath Foundation, and your Rupee Trail shows the payment.
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Fitted together, not at home
Children get their glasses fitted at a group session with staff present.
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We check they're being worn
Glasses only help if they're worn. We check in at 3 months and at 6 months, and replace a broken or lost pair once a year.
One of the cheapest ways to help a child learn
Short sight is common in school-age children and easy to correct. In a large trial with school children in China, children given free glasses did better in maths than those who weren't (Ma et al., BMJ, 2014). The same study found that many children stopped wearing them, which is why we follow up.
What your gift pays for
You give Saath Foundation money, not items. We buy what the program needs ourselves: screening days, eye tests by licensed optometrists, glasses from an approved optician, and a replacement pair if one breaks or gets lost. Then we share the bills, and each payment shows in your Rupee Trail.
A child's eye test stays private
Eye test results are health information. Only the Saath Foundation staff who work with that child can see them. We publish totals, such as how many children now have glasses, never which child. And we don't take "child in new glasses" photos for fundraising.
We'll publish our first figures after the first screening day.
Questions
Does screening cost the family anything?
No. Screening, the eye test and the glasses are free for children in our programs.
I'm an optometrist. Can I help?
Thank you. Medical volunteers go through the same checks as every volunteer, including police verification. Please write to us at help@thesaathfoundation.com.