At the age of 23, Jordan, the founder of Vision Spring, had a revelation. After being trapped for two days in a violent snowstorm in a camp in Alaska, he felt he wanted to do something to make his life meaningful. "At that moment I experienced how small and insignificant we are," he says.
Jordan decided to make sure his time on earth was worthwhile, so when he finished his studies in optometry, he volunteered on various medical missions to countries with limited access to health services. On these trips he saw first hand the harsh reality people experience without access to health care and vision services. He learnt that many people who could have the ability to see perfectly were going through life blind because they did not have access to a pair of glasses. This included children who were not able to study because of bad eyesight, meaning they struggled to find work because of poor literacy skills, and therefore had less income as they got older.
Ever since, Jordan felt he wanted to spend the rest of his life helping to restore vision to those who live in more marginal areas where medical services fail. He wanted to help people in those environments overcome the barrier between seeing and not seeing.
What is Vision Spring?
Vision Spring aims to educate people living in remote villages about the importance of eye health, and make glasses accessible and affordable to those who need them. Through working in conjunction with various organizations around the World, Vision Spring glasses are now being worn in 26 developing countries. See which countries here.
So, why are glasses so important? (Click here to watch a short video).
703 million people could have their vision restored with a pair of glasses.
90% of those living with uncorrected vision are in the developing world.
Glasses have the potential to increase monthly income by 20%.
Despite these shocking statistics, it also comes down to this: for many people the world over, a pair of glasses can be the difference between seeing and not seeing. Vision Spring aims to overcome this challenge so that more people can enjoy one of the most basic senses – sight!
