A strip of land facing west of the Atlantic Ocean, The Gambia is the smallest country in Africa. While small in size, the need for vision care and eyewear is staggering as one in three Gambians has a vision problem. Until recently, the country had one optometrist to serve a population of 1.8 million.

OneSight, a global vision care nonprofit sponsored by Luxottica, is working to change that by establishing sustainable vision centers staffed by locals. OneSight staff and volunteers are working side-by-side with Gambian partners to open an in-country, full surface optical manufacturing lab in Banjul and a second community-based vision center in Bansang. The openings build on the success of OneSight’s sustainable vision center pilot location at Farafenni Regional Hospital which has provided vision screenings, eye exams, eyewear and medical referrals to more than 5,000 patients in the first year of operations. 

By 2015, OneSight will open eight community-based vision centers in The Gambia supported by the in-country optical manufacturing lab. With the aim of making vision care accessible to the entire population, providing stable infrastructure and building local expertise. “All services including community education, screenings, eye exams, refraction, optical retail and manufacturing services are provided by Gambians who receive training from OneSight’s volunteer doctors and optical industry experts” said Paul Case, OneSight Sr. Manager.

Launched in 2013, OneSight’s community-based vision centers are revolutionizing the way OneSight expands its work in underserved countries, creating self-supporting permanent systems for local communities. As OneSight’s founding global sponsor, Luxottica is providing corporate funding, equipment and significant volunteer support. In 2014, more than 70 Luxottica employees and doctors are applying their expertise to help OneSight establish the vision centers, central manufacturing lab, supply chain and train Gambian staff.g