EYElliance Co-Founder Elizabeth Smith and Global Director for Private Sector Scale Maggie Savage recently joined Eyeglass Initiatives to discuss their groundbreaking work in scaling access to eyeglasses globally. Hosted by Ambika Samarthya-Howard, the conversation delved into EYElliance's journey, the challenges of building demand, and innovative models for large-scale delivery of reading glasses.
Insights on Scaling Solutions
Elizabeth Smith shared the origins of EYElliance, which grew out of her experiences at VisionSpring and a broader realization: solving the global vision crisis requires collaboration across sectors. “No one entity is going to do it,” Smith emphasized, noting how EYElliance’s model is informed by other successful global alliances, from off-grid solar to nutrition.
The duo highlighted community health workers (CHWs) as a critical delivery mechanism for reading glasses. “Given the enormity of the problem, we need to utilize channels that already exist and can reach large numbers,” Smith explained. By integrating reading glasses into national CHW systems, EYElliance is paving the way for faster, broader reach—getting glasses to millions of people in underserved communities.
Key Takeaways
- Collaboration is Key: EYElliance’s approach builds on partnerships across NGOs, governments, and sectors, leveraging existing networks like CHWs to achieve scale.
- Demand Creation: Ensuring people understand the value of eyeglasses is as crucial as making them available. This dual focus on supply and demand is central to EYElliance's strategy.
- Systemic Change: Unlike parallel systems used by many NGOs, EYElliance is enabling governments to take the lead, ensuring sustainability and national-level impact.
Why It Matters
The interview showcases EYElliance’s role as a driving force in transforming the eyeglasses ecosystem. Their innovative strategies not only bring affordable eyeglasses to those in need but also empower governments to sustain these efforts for years to come.
Read the full article at https://eyeglassinitiatives.org/resource/elizabeth-smith-and-maggie-savage/.
To dive deeper into this enlightening conversation, download the full transcript.
