The World Health Organization estimates that the
eyesight of one-fourth of the world's population can be improved through the
use of corrective lenses. Unfortunately for many, a pair of glasses is both
unaffordable and inaccessible. In developing countries an eye exam costs as
much as one month's wages and a single doctor may serve a community of
hundreds of thousands of people.
For nearly 70 years, individual Lions Clubs have
collected used eyeglasses for distribution to the needy in developing
nations. Now Lions recycle 5m pairs of spectacles each year.
In Sevenoaks the Lions Club collects used spectacle
regularly from all the major opticians in town and sends them for re-use in
developing countries. If you have old pairs of glasses please put them in
one of our boxes (which are in each of the major opticians) and we shall
ensure that they enrich the life of someone in the third world.
