In the sun-drenched plains of Africa, where nature thrives in beauty and culture beats with resilience, a silent tragedy unfolds each day—millions of children and adults are losing their sight.

Not from aging.

Not from incurable diseases.

But from something far more preventable: malnutrition and lack of information.

At First Sight, we don’t just see this crisis—we step into it, bringing solutions where hope is dimmed and futures hang in the balance.

When Nutrition Fails, Vision Follows
Most conversations about malnutrition focus on hunger, weight, or illness. But rarely do we talk about what it does to the eyes.

In many villages, daily meals consist of just enough to survive—cornmeal, rice, or cassava—foods that fill the stomach but starve the body of essential vitamins and minerals.

• Vitamin A deficiency is the leading cause of preventable childhood blindness.
• Iron and zinc shortages weaken the optic nerve and slow the body’s ability to heal.
• Lack of Omega-3s impairs retina development, especially in young children.

The World Health Organization estimates that over 250 million children suffer from Vitamin A deficiency, and as many as 500,000 go blind each year as a result.

Their lives, already marked by hardship, become even harder—simply because they can’t see.

The Other Barrier: Not Knowing
The tragedy isn’t just that malnutrition is stealing sight—it’s that most people don’t know it’s happening.

In communities where healthcare is scarce, and education even scarcer, poor vision is often misunderstood:

• “He’s lazy.”
• “She’s not smart enough.”
• “It’s just old age.”

Children fall behind in school. Adults lose their jobs. And no one realizes that a simple eye exam and a pair of glasses could change everything.

In the absence of knowledge, blindness becomes a silent destiny—but it doesn’t have to be.

First Sight: Seeing the Crisis, Delivering the Solution
At First Sight, we’re not waiting for clinics or power grids or professional eye doctors.

We go where others don’t.

We bring portable, electricity-free vision screening kits that allow trained volunteers to test and fit eyeglasses in less than 10 minutes.

No complicated tools.

No long delays.

No cost to the ones who need it most.

Vision tests that work indoors or outdoors

Prescription glasses provided on the spot

Education about nutrition and eye health for lasting impact

We believe that vision is a right—not a luxury.

A Real Story: Grace, the Girl Who Hid
Grace was just 8 when we met her. She lived in a remote village where roads disappeared into dust and the nearest hospital was two days away.

She never raised her hand in class. She was labeled “slow.” The truth? She couldn’t see the board.

Grace’s diet had never included vegetables rich in Vitamin A. She had never heard of glasses. No one knew why her eyes failed her.

In minutes, our team tested her sight, found the right lenses, and gently placed a pair of glasses on her face.

The moment she opened her eyes, everything changed.

She smiled.

She spoke.

She read her first full sentence.

That day, a little girl came back into the world.

How You Can Help
The crisis is real—but so is the solution.

By supporting First Sight, you help us:

• Bring life-changing eyeglasses to underserved communities
• Educate families about nutrition and vision
• Stop blindness before it steals another future

Every pair of glasses is a story waiting to be rewritten.

Because when people see clearly, they learn better, work harder, and dream bigger.

Be the light in someone’s darkness. Give the gift of sight today at https://firstsight.org