On October 12 2023, the Group’s employees proudly joined the global community to celebrate World Sight Day, an annual day dedicated to focusing the world's attention on the importance of vision care.
World Sight Day (WSD) aims to put a spotlight on a staggering statistic that 2.7 billion people globally live with uncorrected poor vision. On October 12, the Group teamed up with the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation to raise public awareness of the importance of good vision. It was an opportunity to highlight ‘The Right to See’, a global campaign in partnership with award-winning photographer, Steve McCurry, which puts an emphasis on good vision as a fundamental human right. The goal is to accelerate EssilorLuxottica’s Mission of helping people “see more, be more,” and its ambition to eliminate uncorrected poor vision in a generation, as embedded in the Company’s sustainability program, Eyes on the Planet.
The occasion was marked with great enthusiasm and excitement this year, as thousands of employees engaged in a variety of activities - from vision screenings and outreach events to photo exhibitions and fundraising activities. Below are some of the many meaningful initiatives implemented across its global sites and the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation:
An event was held in its office in Australia to mark the occasion. Local teams also worked alongside health providers in Vanuatu island to conduct a vision clinic for approximately 1,000 people.
Professional Solutions and Retail teams joined forces with the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation in EMEA to create positive impact on WSD. A myriad of initiatives were organized, ranging from vision screenings for those in need to internal and external awareness-raising events. Thanks to these efforts, more than 14,000 people from nearly 40 EMEA countries were provided with access to vision care, with those requiring correction (on average 1 in 6) being provided with glasses.
In Ethiopia, 'The Right to See' was celebrated in a 120-year-old government-owned printing press building in Addis Ababa which has over 1,000 employees. They conducted vision screening for three days and donated 300 pairs of glasses.
In France, a breakfast event was held at the head office in Charenton, followed by a presentation of activities by the Foundation with the participation of Essilor Instruments, the Group’s Low Vision R&D team and the eye company Eyemazy. In Creteil, 50 employee volunteers supported the Foundation’s mobile screening van to help address the needs of the underprivileged in Ile-de-France. In partnership with local non-profit associations such as Secours Populaire, over 100 people were screened. Employees at the Ligny-en-Barrois site conducted visual screenings for local residents. BBGR France conducted visual screenings and donated eyewear to Vision Solidarité. Vision screenings were conducted for all employees, vendors and visitors at the Group’s Dijon site.
In Greater China, an event was held in the Group’s Shanghai office along with a photo exhibition of “The Right to See” campaign. To mark WSD, the Company conducted vision screening for 24,587 rural children and elderly people and provided free optical lenses to 18,106 people who needed vision correction.
The Foundation organized vision screening programs in India with the help of over 100 employee volunteers. A vision center catering to needy people in nearby urban slums was inaugurated at a general hospital in Bangalore. In addition, a panel discussion on myopia control was facilitated on a local television channel and the Foundation sponsored a national level chess tournament for the visually impaired in association with Lotus Eye Hospital in Mumbai.
The Foundation in Italy marked its first anniversary in the prestigious Chamber of Deputies of the Italian parliament. It was an opportunity to present its first research dedicated to visual health issue among the needy population in Italy. In addition, teams from the plants situated around the Belluno area also participated in the "24 hours of San Martino" marathon, which promotes the values of solidarity and sharing.
On WSD, the Foundation announced its expansion in Latin America (LATAM), uniting its long-standing philanthropy and advocacy initiatives. It will focus on executing vision care programs and forging high-impact alliances to serve underprivileged patients across the region. Vision clinics were conducted in various local communities and schools in Ecuador, Trinidad and Tobago, Panama, Colombia, Peru, Brazil and Chile. The Foundation leveraged EssilorLuxottica volunteers from several business groups including Retail, Wholesale and GrandVision to serve patients in need.
In North America, WSD was marked by various initiatives including charitable vision clinics and screenings in cities across the United States, including Philadelphia, PA; Kansas City, MO; Dallas, TX and Cincinnati, OH, as well as vision care outreach programs for seniors in need across Canada in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia. In addition, three events were held at the American Academy of Optometry Clinics to present results of indigenous community research study in Panama with university partners, Sale for Sight event for Congress attendees and EL Academic Challenge with 12 Schools of Optometry.
The Foundation’s team in Rwanda marked WSD with the formal opening of an access point located in the Eastern Province, near the border with Uganda.
In Singapore, a Vision Experiential Zone with an immersive experience was launched reminding people of the importance of good vision. The Foundation showcased creative interventions and conducted vision screenings for 120 elderly people.
Our South African team collaborated this year with New Jerusalem Children’s home and screened close to 1000 orphans and displaced children over a seven-day period.
Employees also attended virtual classes on Leonardo featuring Dr. Ciku Mathenge from Rwanda International Institute of Ophthalmology, Dr. Magda Robalo from Institute for Global Health and Development and Anurag Hans, the Group’s Head of Mission and President of the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation. Through the course, employees can learn about the Foundation’s advocacy efforts and work across the four pillars of free and subsidized services including: raising awareness about the importance of good vision; providing sustainable access to vision care; correcting and protecting the vision of those in need, as well as training primary vision care providers to create sustainable livelihoods.
Since 2013, the OneSightEssilorLuxottica Foundation has provided 692 million people with access to sustainable vision care through 26,000 sustainable access points. This in addition to philanthropic activities, have helped correct and protect the vision of 66.7 million people.
Visit OneSight.EssilorLuxottica.com to learn more about the Foundation and EssilorLuxottica’s Mission.
