In 2015, Rwandans did not have access to affordable glasses and limited opportunities to receive an eye exam.

 

On behalf of OneSight, an international vision care nonprofit, Kelsey worked in partnership with Rwanda’s Ministry of Health and local medical students to increase access to vision care in Rwanda. Kelsey developed educational tools, facilitator guidelines and led trainings for nearly 1,500 Rwandans in the Musanze district on the importance of eye health and how to receive a screening and purchase a pair of glasses. Additionally, she collected qualitative and quantitative data by conducting interviews with community health workers and evaluating products and pricing.  Best practices gleaned from the pilot training and her research were used on a country-wide scale.

 

Rwanda, in partnership with OneSight, has now launched 15 vision centers. Nearly half of the population, more than 5 million people, have access to quality vision care services. Revenue generated from the vision centers currently supports 90% of the operational costs.