Special-edition, Congolese-inspired TOMS Shoes
We're teaming up with Giving Partner Eastern Congo Initiative (ECI), an advocacy and grant-making organization founded by Ben Affleck, on two Congolese-inspired designs with an additional give. Read More >>
TOMS x charity: water - An Eyewer collaboration
TOMS and charity: water, an organization founded in 2006 (like TOMS!) that’s dedicated to to helping bring clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations, join forces for the first-ever TOMS Eyewear collab! Read More >>
Giving TOMS Shoes in the DRC
Founded by Ben Affleck in 2010, ECI is an advocacy and grant-making organization that works with and for the people of DRC, the third most populous country in Africa, and one that struggled under a cycle of violence for nearly 20 years – particularly in the east. Read More >>
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Equipping Educators to Screen Students for Eye Care
For the past five years, Rupa has taught science in her village just outside of Lumbini, Nepal. She teaches six days a week, seven periods a day, to nearly 40 students in each class. When she comes home from school, Rupa takes care of her 4-year-old son. It may seem like a lot, but Rupa doesn’t mind because she loves what she does.
“Being a mother, I love children,” she shared. “And teachers help prepare the next generation. They’ll become doctors and engineers. It is really important work.”
However, this work can be made difficult when teaching students who cannot properly see the blackboard during her lessons. Though Rupa knew some students needed help, she saw many students continue to struggle, since the community and its kids lacked awareness and access to proper eye care.
Recently, through the support of TOMS Eyewear and Giving Partner Seva Foundation, the Lumbini Eye Institute was able to conduct school training sessions to educate teachers like Rupa about basic eye health and how to screen students for potential eye issues. Seva explains that this is often the most effective way to reach children in need of care. It can even be helpful in spreading awareness about eye care to their parents. Since July 2011, over 120 teachers have been trained in Nepal through the assistance of TOMS’ Sight Giving model. After taking part in this training, schoolteachers are equipped to identify and refer students with visual impairment and eye issues to the local eye care centers for help.
“I really enjoyed the training,” Rupa said. “I learned about the vision test and now I will go back to my school and test vision. I have an important position to get [students] to the right resources.”
