RAIDAS BECOMES A PRODUCER OF GLASSES

One evening, long after the end of training, we discovered Raidas secretly practicing how to bend glasses. Nobody had shown him how, but the results were actually quite good. Raidas was embarrassed, apologized and tried to quietly disappear. We asked him if he would like to learn how to bend the frames and work with us as a glasses manufacturer. Yes indeed, Raidas wanted to!

A PROUD MANUFACTURER OF GLASSES IN INDIA

Raidas was extremely motivated, continuing to work into the evening when the other trainees had already left. This made Raidas the proudest eyewear producer in India.

AT RAIDAS’S HOME

Raidas invited us to his home, a mud hut in the slum on the outskirts of the city of Bhubaneshwar. His mother also lives there, whom he cares for every day.  As a member of a lower caste, he could not find a permanent job and has not been able to save enough money to marry. Raidas had apparently continued to practice at home and wanted us to test his glasses with him.

IN THE SLUM

While visiting, Raidas showed us his slum “Salia Sahi” where we met many very poor but also very wonderful people and we decided to come back a week later to provide an eye camp for them.

The subsequent eye camp was a great success, and it was apparent that we were the first opticians to visit the slum.