WHY EYEGLASSES?

Alaffia selects projects that are achievable for us, offer the most impact for improving self-sufficiency of African communities, and are most needed in our Togolese communities. Vision impairments are a barrier to education for young people, and a barrier to viable livelihoods for many adults. When an elderly person can no longer see, their mobility and activity in the life of their families and communities is greatly affected. Togo, the 12th poorest country in the world (2016 data), has 1 doctor per 25,000 people. As this is a national figure, it does not reflect the great divide between urban and rural medical care access. Specialists are even more scarce. The African Council of Optometrists reported only a few Togolese certified optometrists in its 2016 report. In this context, providing eye care to western standards is mostly just not possible. And yet, a simple donation of something we no longer need, can change a life.

In Togo:

• 1 Eye Exam costs 1 entire month of the average wage
• 1 Pair of Eyeglasses costs 4 months of the average annual wage.
• Since 2006, we have distributed over 25,588 pairs of eyeglasses to children and adults with vision impairments. who would otherwise not have corrective eye wear.

How Our Program Works:

• We collect reading & Rx glasses & accept sunglasses in the United States.
• Our community trainers partner with women’s cooperatives, health clinics and local officials in low cash communities in the Alaffia producer regions. We also distribute in Sokode, Alaffia’s headquarters in Togo.
• GACE trainers help identify beneficiaries and distribute eyewear.
• They educate about the importance of protective eye wear to prevent cataracts, common and debilitating among the elderly in Africa.
• It costs US $1 per pair to get eyeglasses assessed in Togo for their Rx, but equipment and locations with trained staff to do this are few, limiting the quantity of assessments that can be done.
• New: we are currently looking at ways to increase the volume of eyeglass Rx assessments both in Togo and in the US prior to shipping. We are exploring an eye exam coverage program, similar to our Safe Births program.

Natural Food Stores & Broker Partners

Alaffia’s incredible brokers, distributors and natural foods retail stores conduct an annual eyeglass donation drive. These WONDERFUL partners promote the drive and also collect and pack the eyeglasses. Alaffia contributes to GACE to cover the shipping costs for drive participants to send us their eyeglasses. College campuses, eye care clinics, churches and others also join us. Would you like to do an eyeglass drive? Contact us for details.

Ask at your natural foods store or campus if they participate!

Donations

Don’t have eyeglasses to give? You can help with a cash donation:

• a $5 donation ships about 10 pairs of eyeglasses.
• $1 covers the cost for assessing the rx of 1 pair of donated prescription eyeglasses.

Yanakokari, thank you, for brightening our communities in Togo!