Imagine this: Your eyeglasses have the wrong prescription, and you’ve spent your life navigating the world in a constant state of disorientation, plagued by dizziness. To make matters worse, you lack the financial means to have your eyes examined, and the only pair of glasses you own is held together by tape.
This was a scenario that Yvonne Siow, Asean head of the Onesight EssilorLuxottica Foundation, the philanthropic arm of European eyewear maker EssilorLuxottica, recently encountered with a malnourished child during a mission trip to the slums in the Philippines.
“He was probably about 10 years old, but he looked like five,” she recalls. He approached Yvonne and her team with a pair of spectacles that was broken into three pieces and haphazardly taped together because he couldn’t afford to get them fixed. “The lenses were so thick that he looked like a goldfish swimming in a fishbowl,” recounts Yvonne.
He confided that he experienced relentless dizziness. It was that moment when a dedicated volunteer sensed something was wrong with the boy’s prescription. An eye examination was quickly conducted, which confirmed their suspicions – his vision prescription was completely wrong.
“We immediately processed a pair of spectacles with the right prescription to be made for him. The very next day, when he received his new spectacles, we also gifted him a storybook. His reaction was nothing short of magical. He lit up with joy as he looked at the pictures and began to read. The teacher was so surprised that he knew how to read,” recounts Yvonne. “She actually told us that she thought the kid was dumb. Can you imagine? He was labelled dumb because his vision was impaired, yet, in reality, he is an exceptionally intelligent and highly capable young individual.”
Denne historien er fra November 2023-utgaven av Her World Singapore.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra November 2023-utgaven av Her World Singapore.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Is Social Media Really Necessary For Career Success?
Social media platforms are powerful job-hunting and networking tools, but if you don't use them for professional reasons or aren't comfortable posting online, don't worry - there are other ways to improve your career prospects.
PAYING IT FORWARD
When she noticed that women in developing countries were not getting the funding they deserved, Laina Raveendran Greene started Angels of Impact.
DRESSING FOR SUCCESS
Today's workplace dress codes are more varied than ever, but as the lines blur, we're left wondering: Is dressing down impacting how we show up - and how confident we feel at work?
Power Puff
This '80s skirt trend is popping up on our social media feeds and on the streets.
FIRING UP SINGAPORE'S INDIE CINEMA SCENE
Nothing makes Karen Tan, co-founder of The Projector, more happy and fulfilled than making a difference to a film-goer's experience. For her, that spells \"f-u-n\" and brings people together. In the third instalment of the \"HER WORLD, HER SPARK\" series, presented in partnership with DBS, we speak to Karen about her journey.
WILLA BELLE
ONG is intentional about building the next blocks of her career
Back For Good
Get ready we are now in the halterneck era.
Stick Sunscreen
Using sunscreen is extremely important to protect our skin from the harmful effects of the sun’s UV rays.
Beyond The 9-To-6
According to Her World's annual What Women Want survey, a staggering seven in 10 women in Singapore are willing to take a pay cut for a job that offers better perks and benefits, with a flexible work schedule being a top priority. Are employers here ready to accept flexible arrangements as part of our lexicon?
Leading Singapore's Sustainable Innovations
In this second instalment of the "HER WORLD, HER SPARK" series, presented in partnership with DBS, we speak to Oh Chu Xian, founder of deep tech start-up Magorium. Determined to make the construction sector a more sustainable one, she's revolutionising it with a new technology that turns plastic waste into sustainable building materials.
