A New Chapter for Eye Health in Liberia
Five new Vision Centers are bringing eye care directly to existing health facilities in Grand Cape Mount and Gbarpolu counties for the first time, serving a region with over 600,000 people. This is made possible by GoodVision Technicians whom we have trained, such as Younkonjay Papa, who has been working with us for over four years.
The Challenge
For many people in rural western Liberia, eye care has meant traveling long distances, or going without treatment at all. In Liberia, there are currently fewer than 70 eye care professionals, while more than 21,000 are needed. As a result: 85 percent of people who need glasses have no access to them, according to a 2021 survey by the Liberian Ministry of Health.
The Training Program
This is exactly where we come in: Between May and June 2026, 11 new GoodVision Technicians completed their one-year training program with us. This brings the total number of professionals we have trained in Liberia to 36, free of charge. This is because the training is co-funded by GoodVision Liberia and its partners. It covers vision testing, refraction, eyeglass fitting, patient counseling, community outreach, and use of the GoodVision app.
The Impact
The newly trained GoodVision Technicians are part of a larger plan: In August 2026, five new Vision Centers opened as part of the Liberian healthcare system: four in Grand Cape Mount County (Sinje, Damballa, Lofa Bridge, WAHO) and one in Gbarpolu County (Emirates Hospital). The GoodVision Technicians we trained work there as employees of the health care system. In the first six months, they are expected to provide over 6,000 free eye exams and approximately 1,500 pairs of glasses.
A Model with a Future
What makes this unique is that the Vision Centers are integrated into Liberia’s existing healthcare system, rather than creating a separate, parallel structure. The GoodVision Technicians are government employees, and the county-based health teams support the implementation. For us, this is a model with a future: With every training program, we directly strengthen the public health system – the trained professionals remain where they are needed, permanently and beyond the scope of our involvement. This is how a single training program transforms into sustainable care: helping people help themselves. It is precisely this local ownership that gives us confidence that the model will endure beyond the project’s duration.
"Many people develop eye problems but don't know where to go or who to turn to."
