This weekend, we launched a social enterprise program in Central America. We introduced the SVOne, our portable autorefractor, with our Guatemalan Launch Partner Soluciones Comunitarias (SolCom).
Dan Malin refracting with the SVOne
This launch was supported by Community Enterprise Solutions. We had a group of inspired and passionate consultants from Deloitte’s Human Capital team on the ground for the launch. They advised SolCom on scaling and strategy. This marks our first full pilot launch and we are very proud to have the expert team at SolCom taking the lead.
SolCom, Deloitte and CE Solutions
The highlight of this launch was a vision campaign held in Jocotenango. The campaign was led by SolCom regional coordinator Clara Cho de Montezuma. Clara is a living, breathing “changemaker.” She has done thousands of eye exams over the past ten years across Guatemala using basic eye charts. She diagnoses the need for reading glasses and sells them affordably. This was the first time she saw Smart Vision Labs’ SVOne autorefractor in action. “Over the years I have only been able to help people over 35 get reading glasses. I have only been able to help with presbyopia. This has been wonderful but I am so excited about the potential of this new technology. Now I will be able to diagnose the visual needs of young people and children for the very first time and help them get glasses. This will improve their quality of life. I can’t wait to get started!”
Clara hard at work
During the campaign, Clara and the team administered 36 exams with traditional eye charts. Fourteen people who saw worse than 20/40 were provided prescriptions using the SVOne. Many of these people had never visited an optometrist before. But this isn’t about diagnosing problems. SolCom is now in the process of building relationships with local optometrists and eye clinics so that Guatemalans can have ongoing access to affordable glasses and vision care. We are just getting started but we are out to change the world!