To understand how families escape poverty, you have to look at the barriers that stand between them and opportunity.

That’s why eye care isn’t just healthcare, it’s one of the smartest economic investments we can make. In more than 20 years of evaluating global health interventions, I’ve seen few solutions deliver such immediate returns for families while improving health, education, and livelihoods.

Our research in Guatemala proves it. By combining vision care with labor data from coffee farms, we showed that improving eyesight directly increases productivity and income. The work was recently featured in Business Insider after receiving a 2026 Global Recognition Award, chosen from more than 15,000 entries worldwide and earning a perfect score for its methodology, scope, and real-world impact.

For an investment of just $29 per worker for screening, diagnosis, and glasses, we found:

• 12 more pounds of coffee picked per day, an 8% increase in productivity.
• $321 in additional income for each worker over three harvest seasons.
• $556 in additional profit for farms per worker.

That income stays where it matters most: with families. It helps pay school fees, access healthcare, strengthen household finances, and create lasting stability. Research like this is changing how governments, funders, and businesses view eye health: not simply as healthcare, but as a proven strategy for reducing poverty and growing economies.

Thank you for making this work possible. Together, we’re demonstrating that restoring sight is one of the highest-impact investments we can make for families, communities, and lasting economic opportunity.

With gratitude,

Kate Moynihan
CEO/Executive Director