About us
Context
Lebanon has reached levels of poverty like never seen before with people short on basic needs, nutrition, education, and proper health care. The August blast has put substantial stress on the economy and the NGOs cannot cope with the needs of the citizens and the refugees. More than 75% of the population is under the poverty line. I was restless looking for ways to help support and contribute to the people, especially the less fortunate youth. After careful research, I found out that there was an unmet need by the NGOs as they mostly concentrated their help on foods, clothing, and education. Having said that, there was one big hurdle to getting the right education, especially the big part being online, as the ability for students to see clearly. A lot of them have neither had an eye examination. And even those who are wearing glasses, their prescription does not correspond to their current sight deficiency.
Mission
In order to improve quality of life for the underserved, I landed upon the often-overlooked issue of eye impairment. Then, I considered the launch of a glasses collection and redistribution campaign in Lebanon, as it is an unmet need by the NGOs. I’ve also come to realize that many people are tired of donating and giving due to their own financial constraints but many are prepared to donate in-kind, especially concerning items that are no longer of use to them. After a questionnaire that I’ve done with a hundred people, I came to realize that on average every household has 3 to 4 pairs of eyeglasses sitting idle in a drawer. With that in mind, I decided to launch an integrated eyeglasses collection campaign, inviting people to donate their old glasses.
Goal
Eyesight is so cardinal to good quality of life. The way I see it, it is a necessary condition for education, growth, and consequently, social mobility. Thus, an uncorrected vision problem could seriously hamper an individual’s ability to learn and reach their highest potential. I am a strong believer in the butterfly effect and I recognize that our fates are intertwined; the smallest acts can have immeasurable consequences. With the goal of making a small difference in a dynamic system, I set about bringing ‘RecEYEcle’ to life.