Oakley and Rohit Sharma team up with OneSight Essilor Luxottica Foundation to raise awareness about the importance of good vision

Leading performance eyewear brand Oakley and Rohit Sharma, globally renowned cricketer and Oakley brand ambassador in India, teamed up with OneSight Essilor Luxottica Foundation in its efforts to raising awareness about the importance of good vision, and providing sustainable access to vision care where it doesn’t exist today.

At the full-day event held at Gurugram, around 1000 underserved school-going children aged between 10 and 15 years, participated in the eye clinic for testing visual acuity. Children found in need for vision correction were given free Oakley Eyeglasses fitted with lenses made to their prescription.

Good vision is a basic human right, yet uncorrected poor vision affects 2.7 billion people around the world and over 550 million people in India alone. One in three people are not able to reach their full potential when 80% of all vision problems can be solved by solutions that exist today. Studies show that clear sight can dramatically impact learning, job performance and earning potential. Clear sight can help students learn up to twice as much in school and can help increase a worker’s productivity by 35 percent, enabling them to earn 20 percent more. Eye exams and glasses act as powerful tools that can play a significant role in helping lift people out of poverty by enabling education and employment. Following the eye clinic, Rohit Sharma spoke to the children, sharing anecdotes from his life to inspire the next generation, stressing on the importance of good vision and focusing on fulfilling one’s dream, via an interactive session. In addition, Rohit also spent time participating in a series of sports activities along with the kids.

Speaking on the initiative, Rohit Sharma, added, “I am honoured to be a part of this empowering initiative by Oakley and OneSight. The initiative is in the right direction towards helping create awareness about vision correction, especially among children. The future belongs to our children and timely access to vision care and correction plays an important role in building and securing their future. I am grateful to be doing my part in being able to make a difference in our community with Oakley and OneSightEssilorLuxottica Foundation.”

“We are committed to ensuring access to vision care to all, especially more focused among children, as it profoundly impacts their overall development and future prospects. At the OneSightEssilorLuxottica Foundation, we strive to address the barriers that hinder vision care accessibility and raise awareness about the transformative power of good vision. We are partnering with various state governments in Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka , Jammu & Kashmir for delivering quality eye care services. By investing in the well-being of our children, we are contributing towards a brighter future for generations to come," said Mr. Narasimhan Narayanan, President, EssilorLuxottica South Asia.

“The collaboration between Rohit Sharma, Oakley and ourFoundation reflects our shared commitment to making a difference in people's lives by promoting access to vision care and the transformative power of sports. When icons like Rohit, who are loved by millions of fans around the globe, join us in raising awareness about the importance of good vision, it really motivates people and policy makers to take action to ensure clear vision for all. We look forward to continuing our efforts together towards raising awareness and increasing access to vision care both in India and globally,” said Anurag Hans, Head of Mission, EssilorLuxottica and President, OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation.

The collaboration between Oakley, Rohit Sharma and OneSight Essilor Luxottica Foundation strives to make a difference in people's lives by promoting access to vision care and the transformative power of sports. With the support of state governments in Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka, the OneSightEssilorLuxottica Foundation will continue to support school-going children with vision screenings and glasses, with the aim to reach 1,000 children.