Six years after launch, Liberia’s independent program partners with government to expand vision care

Every second Thursday in October, the world turns its attention to vision health. This year’s World Sight Day—observed globally on October 9th under the theme “Celebrating One Million Glasses”—marked an unprecedented achievement for the GoodVision network, with Liberia playing a central role in the celebration.

At William V. S. Tubman High School in Monrovia’s Sinkor neighborhood, students gathered as GoodVision technicians set up screening stations. Word traveled fast through 12th Street, and soon neighbors were arriving to join the celebration. By day’s end, 691 people had been screened and 166 received prescription glasses manufactured on-site.

From Partnership to Powerhouse

The path to this celebration has been neither short nor simple. GoodVision Liberia began in 2019 as a partnership with Refugee Place International, testing whether the model could work in a country with fewer than 200 eye care professionals serving 5 million people. The answer came quickly: Liberians needed these services desperately.

By August 2023, the program had grown strong enough to become an independent NGO, marking a significant achievement that required extensive coordination with the Liberian government. The team moved to a new location on the campus of St. Joseph’s Catholic Hospital in central Monrovia, establishing both a permanent base and a crucial healthcare partnership.

Today, GoodVision Liberia works directly with the Ministry of Health, supporting government efforts to expand access to quality, affordable eye care. Country Director Jackson T. Smith describes the mission simply: “We aim to provide permanent access to basic eye care and affordable glasses for all Liberians.”

The Numbers Behind the Celebration

Through October 2025, the team screened over 12,800 people and distributed 6,150 pairs of glasses. Fifty Liberians who faced cataract-related blindness received referrals and support for surgery—procedures that can cost a year’s wages but literally restore the ability to see a grandchild’s face or return to work.

Since 2019, more than 40,000 Liberians have received eye screenings and 18,000 now wear GoodVision glasses. In classrooms across Monrovia, students who once squinted at blurred blackboards can now read. Market vendors can see their customers. Parents can work.

Ambassadors for Vision

At Tubman High School, Jackson Smith challenged the students: “Whatever you have learned and heard here today, you will have to be ambassadors in your communities promoting good eye health.” The message reflects GoodVision’s sustainable approach—not just providing glasses, but building awareness and local capacity.

“With 1 million glasses given out globally, we have created 1 million stories of sight, 1 million smiles, 1 million opportunities, and 1 million lives empowered,” Smith said. “This could not have been possible without everyone—the patients, partners, and staff. Together we can always do better, because good vision is a human right.”

Liberia stands among five African nations in the GoodVision network, alongside Burkina Faso, Kenya, Malawi, and Tanzania. The global million-glasses milestone reflects years of work across all 11 countries, but Liberia’s six-year journey—from uncertain partnership to independent NGO partnering with government—demonstrates what sustainable, locally-driven programs can achieve.

The next million begins now. Thank you for making the Liberia program possible. Your support built this foundation, and it continues to bring clear vision to communities across the country.