Essilor recently launched a three-year migrant workers vision care program to provide 300,000 migrant workers living in dormitories in Singapore with free eye care education and reading glasses. Implemented by Essilor Vision Foundation (EVF) ASEAN and non-governmental organization, the Migrant Workers’ Centre, the program has the aim to also make available free comprehensive vision screenings and prescription glasses for those in need when there is greater access to vision screening events post-pandemic.
Presbyopia on the rise among migrant workers
Bringing the migrant workers community – a key workforce in Singapore – good vision and enabling them to live better lives is one of our priorities for Essilor. This initiative followed a discovery by Dr. Blanche Lim, Senior Resident, Department of Ophthalmology, National University Hospital during her work with her team to provide care for migrant workers. With the increased use of digital gadgets and near work during the COVID-19 quarantine measures, the issue of presbyopia in migrant workers aged 40 years and above was unearthed. Presbyopia is a form of near vision impairment that occurs naturally with aging, where there is a loss of near focusing ability and is easily corrected with glasses.
When we discovered this problem during our care for migrant workers at a Community Care Facility earlier this year, we shared our insights with our partners at Essilor, hoping they would be able to address it. We are heartened to know that they are launching a three-year vision care program to provide a sustainable solution to the problem and improve the vision of the migrant workers.
“When we discovered this problem during our care for migrant workers at a Community Care Facility earlier this year, we shared our insights with our partners at Essilor, hoping they would be able to address it. We are heartened to know that they are launching a three-year vision care program to provide a sustainable solution to the problem and improve the vision of the migrant workers,” said Dr. Lim.
Poor vision affects the ability of the migrant workers to work productively and more importantly, to keep themselves safe on the job and in other aspects of their lives. We are happy to partner Essilor to provide free eye care education and glasses to our migrant workers and help those in need to achieve better sight and improve their well-being.
“Poor vision affects the ability of the migrant workers to work productively and more importantly, to keep themselves safe on the job and in other aspects of their lives. We are happy to partner Essilor to provide free eye care education and glasses to our migrant workers and help those in need to achieve better sight and improve their well-being,” said Chairman of Migrant Worker’s Centre, Mr. Yeo Guat Kwang.
Launch ceremony graced by Singapore’s Minister for Manpower
We launched the migrant worker vision care program at a ceremony graced by guest-of-honor, Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Home Affairs, Mrs Josephine Teo, at our regional headquarters in Singapore while observing COVID-19 social distancing guidelines. The ceremony saw attendees from Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower, the Migrant Workers’ Centre and the Singapore Economic Development Board which supports our Base-of-Pyramid (BoP) Innovation Lab.
The guests toured a special Social Impact Exhibition that highlights our social impact efforts – creating sustainable vision care access points; innovating to create affordable products and reduce cost-to-serve; philanthropy to fund free and subsidized services as well as raising awareness of the importance of good vision – since 2013 to eliminate uncorrected poor vision by 2050.
To kick off the program at the launch event, we donated over 5,000 pairs of sunglasses with handwritten care notes from our employees to the migrant workers to protect their eyes from the sun while at work.
It is always heart-warming to witness the collaborative efforts of our partners in caring for our migrant workers’ health, safety and well-being. Hope to see more such initiatives come to fruition.
“It is always heart-warming to witness the collaborative efforts of our partners in caring for our migrant workers’ health, safety and well-being. Hope to see more such initiatives come to fruition,” said Mrs Josephine Teo, Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Home Affairs at the launch event.