The Foureyes Foundation works alongside Nikau Foundation to make eyecare more accessible for kiwi kids.
Unlocking opportunities for learning through free eyecare.
Wellington-based Ravi Dass’ start in Optometry may have started as a dare from a friend but quickly turned into a lifelong love for the discipline and making a difference for kiwi kids experiencing eye issues.
Finding a solution
For one in 10 kiwi children, learning can be a struggle due to vision issues. For some of these children, these issues will go undiagnosed or untreated, having lifelong impacts on education, employment and self-confidence. Due to this, it is imperative that any eye issues are identified early and eyecare is made as accessible as possible.
Ravi, who had then just returned from a stint volunteering in clinics in Fiji, came up with the idea for the Foureyes Foundation while working in his Haitaitai-based clinic. He was seeing first-hand the effect inaccessible eye care was having and decided to find a solution.
“Often parents or teachers may not know how to spot symptoms of an eye condition. This, as well as factors such as lack of accessibility to an optometry clinic or the high cost of glasses, means that a lot of children don’t get the help they need,” says Ravi.
This is where the Foureyes Foundation comes in.
The start of a movement
Piloted at Titahi Bay School in 2016, the Foureyes Foundation helps to remove barriers to eye care by providing free vision screening, eye testing and glasses in communities that need them the most. Since then, they have established four clinics, screened over 4000 kids and helped to identify eye issues for over 400 kiwi kids.
They recently expanded to Dargaville and have embedded themselves in the community with the help of local partners, establishment of a Learning Support Coordinator role and relationships with local Ngati Toa iwi. For Ravi, this expansion not only validates the need for the service they are providing but also represents the breadth of the issue at hand.
Ravi says, “unfortunately, with factors such as increased screen time, eye issues are only going to become more prevalent. Having a mechanism to catch eye issues early will become more and more important.”
A sustainable revenue stream.
With such a demand for free eye care, it was important for Ravi to find a way to safeguard the delivery of the Foureyes Foundation’s services and to support their growth as they continue to expand nationwide.
“The biggest community need tends to be in regional areas who have poor access to services. Unfortunately, funding initiatives in these areas typically come at a high cost for charities, which is further exacerbated when the need is ongoing. One of our strategic goals is to become more self-sustainable, which is where Nikau Foundation comes in,” says Ravi.
By establishing a fund with Nikau Foundation, the Foureyes Foundation are galvanising their strategic development plans.
“Establishing a fund means we have a reliable funding stream so we can grow and deliver services to more communities in need,” says Ravi, ”Nikau Foundation take care of everything; from administration to investment, so we can focus on delivering our mission.”
Donate to the Foureyes Fund
To ensure kiwi kids have access to lifechanging eyecare for generations to come, you can donate to the Foureyes Fund via internet banking, donating online or leave a gift in your will. Please click on the icons below to find out more.
Internet Banking:
Westpac - Lambton Quay - 03 0502 0163248 001
Once you have donated, please let the Nikau Foundation team know by emailing accounts@nikaufoundation.nz with your name, address and noting that you would like to support the Foureyes Fund.
