Q&A: EyeCare4Kids™ AFRICA

In this Q&A, Miguel Gomes from Modern Optical gives us an insight into a new exciting initiative called EyeCare4Kids™ Africa that was originally introduced by its founder, Joseph Carbone in America. Miguel and Leon Pottas will help drive the operation in Africa.

What is Eyecare4Kids?

Eyecare4kids is a distinguished American NGO with a 20-year legacy of operation in the USA. Dedicated to providing eyeglasses to underprivileged children in need, Eyecare4kids boasts a proven track record and maintains an AAA rating. With a steadfast commitment to making a transformative impact in children’s lives, Eyecare4kids stands poised to continue its exemplary service and expand its reach to benefit more communities in need.

How did you become involved with it?

Through our connections with partners in the United States, we were introduced to Joseph Carbone of Eyecare4kids, who harboured a vision to expand his organization globally and extend aid to the children of South Africa and Africa at large. We were deeply inspired by his vision, passion, and humanitarian goals, and have enthusiastically joined forces to contribute towards realizing his dream of providing vision care to underprivileged children.

Tell us about EyeCare4Kids™Africa.

Eyecare4kids Africa aligns closely with the vision and goals of our parent organization based in the USA, albeit with a broader scope. Our objective is to establish comprehensive partnerships across the optical industry, collaborating with optometrists, lens manufacturers, clinics, universities, schools, and other stakeholders. Our ambitious goal is to provide 1 million pairs of glasses to 1 million children within the next 6 years. Achieving this milestone demands meticulous planning, logistical expertise, innovation, widespread cooperation, and diligent effort from all involved parties. Despite the challenges, we are confident in our ability to realize this vision and make a significant impact on children’s lives across Africa.

Who will be driving the EyeCare4Kid here?

Leon Pottas and Miguel Gomes will spearhead the project leadership in South Africa. Leon brings over 30 years of experience in the optical industry, while Miguel offers more than 20 years of expertise in planning and logistics. They will lead strategic initiatives and oversee operations, supported by a dedicated team managing logistics, administration, and social media activities daily. This structured approach ensures efficient coordination and effective implementation of our regional vision care initiatives.

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What partnerships will you be looking at establishing for Eyecare4Kids?

To successfully implement a project of this magnitude, extensive collaboration with diverse stakeholders is essential. This entails forging partnerships with government departments, fellow NGOs specializing in vision care, optometrists, clinics, lens manufacturers, universities, and schools. Engaging with these key stakeholders will be paramount to the organization’s success, fostering a network of support and expertise that ensures comprehensive and sustainable solutions for children’s vision health across Africa.

Where do you see this initiative in the next 5 years?

We envision establishing an impactful NGO dedicated to improving the lives of children and families by addressing vision problems. Our primary objective is to provide essential vision care to children in need, enabling them to experience the world with clarity. Over the next five years, our aim is to forge sustainable partnerships that facilitate broad access to vision care for as many children as possible.

Our organizational vision extends beyond South Africa, encompassing expansion throughout Africa. We are committed to implementing scalable solutions and fostering collaborative relationships to achieve widespread impact and ensure that every child has the opportunity to reach their full potential through improved vision health.

What are the short-term and long-term objectives of Eyecare4Kids?

In the immediate term, our primary objective is to establish durable and reliable partnerships that will underpin our future endeavours. These strategic alliances will serve as the foundation for implementing our long-term vision, which is to conduct widespread vision screenings for children and provide essential eyeglasses to those in genuine need. This systematic approach ensures that we effectively address the critical issue of vision impairment among children, promoting their well-being and academic success.

What challenges do you foresee?

One of our most critical challenges will be orchestrating the logistical capacity to conduct vision tests at the scale necessary to achieve our ambitious goals. We recognize the significant demand among children for high-quality glasses, and we are confident in our infrastructure’s ability to manufacture, cut, and fit lenses into frames efficiently.

Our primary bottleneck lies in the logistical complexities of screening a large volume of children. To address this challenge effectively, we prioritize aligning ourselves with established organizations already engaged in testing and screening. By leveraging existing expertise and resources, we aim to streamline operations and maximize our impact, ensuring we efficiently meet the urgent needs of children requiring vision correction.

A project of this magnitude will require a lot of funding and sponsors. Although we will receive funding from our mother organisation in the USA we will also be looking for local companies and organisations to get involved. We will require optometrists who will be kind enough to give up their time and any volunteers, who are willing to assist us in any way. We will be promoting and helping those optometrists who are kind enough to give up their time.

Please do not hesitate to contact us on the following contact details:

Miguel Gomes

Cell: 0836015999

Email: miguel@modernoptical.co.za