#visionispower

The “gift of sight” was defined for me yet again this week. Cheers to you and your new glasses, Francisco. Hope they help you continue to shape the minds of your students!♥️🌎 #Ecuador #SVOSH #sco #giftofsight #visionispower #exploremore #travel https://www.instagram.com/p/BxqwKd8nbEj/?igshid=hr45u787k1qc

Despite receiving heartbreaking news last night, I’m inspired to focus on the positive only. Today is both World Sight Day (and International Day of the Girl Child), so let’s take a couple moments to be extra grateful. World Sight Day is a day to raise awareness about a massive health crisis in our world - the fact that over 1.2 billion people are in need of glasses and don’t have access to them. I have seen first hand the power of what an eye exam can do for a person in several parts of this world, whether that’s for a mother who learns that her child isn’t “lame” he just can’t see the blackboard, or for a father who learns that a simple pair of glasses can get him back to work and back to providing food for his family. Beyond glasses, I’ve seen the 1 in 3 kids in my school in rural Uganda learn that this constant, itchy pain was not a chronic condition (or a punishment from God) and in fact just bacteria causing conjunctivitis with an easy solution (and preventative measure of hand-washing). Young or old, near or far, our vision allows us to take care of ourselves, to read, to write, to see the expressions on our loved one’s faces, to work and feel productive, and to see the beauty of the world arounds us. I couldn’t be more proud to work with @diffeyewear who has officially donated over 1 MILLION pairs of reading glasses to individuals who could otherwise no afford or access them worldwide. With a mission to actually make an impact in this world and to empower individuals to be able to help themselves, so for this World Sight Day & to celebrate our 1,000,000th donation, we asked “What does Vision is Power mean to you?” Whether you are near- or far- sighted or you have 20/20 vision, think about this statement. What do you look forward to seeing when you open your eyes each morning? Who’s smile and eyes brighten your day and what view takes your breath away? When was the last time you stopped to take a breath and appreciate the sights all around you, and your ability to see it? WATCH this video I worked with the talented @brandonlerry on & take a second to think. What does Vision is Power mean to you? ♥️👓🌍 #visionispower #diffeyewear #dogoodwithdiff (at Long Beach, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bo0IK-ugzeO/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=vhi28g38vzgb