RestoringVision Receives Grant from GitLab Foundation to Expand Presbyopia Program in Kenya

SAN FRANCISCO, June 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- RestoringVision, the global nonprofit dedicated to providing vision screening and eyeglasses around the world, is pleased to announce it has been awarded a $633,000 grant from GitLab Foundation. This grant marks the first time that GitLab Foundation has made a funding commitment to a health organization. 

The grant will be used to expand RestoringVision's programs in Kenya, where it is working to address presbyopia, the age-related deterioration of a person's near vision that is easily corrected with a pair of eyeglasses. Kenya is one of the initial countries included in the Africa Clear Sight Partnership, launched by RestoringVision and the Africa Christian Health Association Platform (ACHAP) in 2023 to implement vision programs across faith-based health systems in Africa at scale. In Kenya, RestoringVision is working in partnership with the Christian Health Association of Kenya (CHAK) and the Kenya Council of Catholic Bishops (KCCB). GitLab Foundation's investment will enable RestoringVision and its partners to reach an additional 200,000 people living in Kenya's rural, underserved communities with vision services. In addition, the grant will support a study to measure the impact of reading glasses on productivity, income, and quality of life for people living with presbyopia.

"We are proud to support the critically important work of RestoringVision," said GitLab Foundation CEO Ellie Bertani. "Clear, sharp vision is critical in most endeavors, and contributes to worker success and overall well-being, with a proven link to income growth. This work will unlock countless opportunities for people in Kenya to increase their earnings, contribute to their communities, and pursue their dreams."

This grant comes at a time of increased attention to eye health. The World Health Organization (WHO) launched the Global SPECS Network 2030 last year, to call for accelerated, coordinated global action to advance access to quality, affordable, and people-centered vision services for common vision problems. In May, The Lancet Global Health reported that two out of three people in low-income countries who need eyeglasses do not have access to them and noted that the current efforts to address this problem are insufficient to meet these needs.

"As an inaugural member of the Global SPECS 2030 Network, we are committed to scaling up access to near-vision eyeglasses for all who need them," said Pelin Munis, Ph.D., chief executive officer of RestoringVision. "In Kenya, where it is estimated that over 3.9 million people living in poverty are in need of near-vision glasses to correct presbyopia, GitLab Foundation's support will allow us to have a measurable impact on the lives of people doing vision-intensive work, such as farmers, schoolteachers, tailors, mechanics, and others."

About RestoringVision
RestoringVision is tackling the vision crisis head-on, focusing on presbyopia—the age-related deterioration of a person's near vision and the most common cause of vision impairment. Globally, 826 million people are living with presbyopia. By providing equitable access to essential vision screening and near vision eyeglasses to those living on less than $2 a day, RestoringVision is transforming lives, unlocking the human potential that lies at the intersection of health, education, and livelihoods. Since 2003, the organization has reached more than 34 million people across 150+ countries. Visit www.restoringvision.org.

About GitLab Foundation
GitLab Foundation is supporting people to increase their lifetime earnings through economic mobility, emerging technologies, and opportunities for workers on a global scale. The organization's vision is of a world in which one million more people can afford a better life. GitLab Foundation is an independent private foundation, associated with GitLab, Inc. Visit GitLab Foundation.

Contact Information
Elizabeth Walsh, VP of Communications and Marketing
phone: 914-844-0729/[email protected]
www.restoringvision.org 

SOURCE RestoringVision