{"id":1974,"date":"2023-06-26T16:31:20","date_gmt":"2023-06-26T16:31:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/queenscommonwealthtrust.org\/?post_type=project&#038;p=1974"},"modified":"2025-06-27T05:31:45","modified_gmt":"2025-06-27T05:31:45","slug":"wessex-social-venture-improving-the-quality-of-life-for-communities-in-kenya-through-affordable-eye-care","status":"publish","type":"project","link":"https:\/\/queenscommonwealthtrust.org\/projects\/wessex-social-venture-improving-the-quality-of-life-for-communities-in-kenya-through-affordable-eye-care\/","title":{"rendered":"Wessex Social Venture &#8211; improving the quality of life for communities in Kenya through affordable eye care\u200b"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>People who suffer from poor eyesight in&nbsp;low income&nbsp;communities often lack access to affordable eyecare and reading glasses.&nbsp;\u200bThis impacts their educational performance, financial productivity and life-chances.\u200b<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/queenscommonwealthtrust.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Adam-Boxer_Wessex-Social-Ventures-Limited-Resized-819x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1975\" srcset=\"https:\/\/queenscommonwealthtrust.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Adam-Boxer_Wessex-Social-Ventures-Limited-Resized-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/queenscommonwealthtrust.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Adam-Boxer_Wessex-Social-Ventures-Limited-Resized-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/queenscommonwealthtrust.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Adam-Boxer_Wessex-Social-Ventures-Limited-Resized-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/queenscommonwealthtrust.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Adam-Boxer_Wessex-Social-Ventures-Limited-Resized-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https:\/\/queenscommonwealthtrust.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Adam-Boxer_Wessex-Social-Ventures-Limited-Resized.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Adam Boxer &#8211; co-founder of Wessex Social Ventures<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Adam Boxer, the co-founder of Wessex Social Ventures (WSV), is a designer and innovator who uses business thinking and frugal innovation to tackle the basic problems that hold people back in life.&nbsp; One of these is basic problems is lack of affordable eyecare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wessex Social Ventures Limited provides pre-designed business models that have shown their ability to create widespread impact in communities. WSV packages these business models into a \u201cBusiness in a Box (BiaB)\u201d for easy replication.&nbsp;\u200b<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u200bWSV\u2019s current portfolio of&nbsp;BiaB&nbsp;includes a partnership with DOT Glasses to provide affordable reading glasses and eyecare in Kenya. WSV trains and provides&nbsp;partners and local entrepreneurs with the ability to run small DOT Glasses\u2019 businesses. The businesses then sell glasses for&nbsp;$5,&nbsp;This is on average 5x cheaper than other myopic (short-sightedness) glasses on the market. With most of our customers being first time glasses customers.\u200b<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/queenscommonwealthtrust.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Agents-in-Training-1024x768.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1976\" srcset=\"https:\/\/queenscommonwealthtrust.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Agents-in-Training-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/queenscommonwealthtrust.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Agents-in-Training-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/queenscommonwealthtrust.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Agents-in-Training-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/queenscommonwealthtrust.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Agents-in-Training.jpeg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Local entrepreneurs at a training session with WSV to equip them with the ability to run small DOT Glasses\u2019 businesses<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>With QECT&#8217;s support, WSV has been able to:\u00a0\u200b<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Deliver 30 glasses kits and 800 replenishments to the DOT&nbsp;glasses partner for distribution to the agents&nbsp; and identified&nbsp;6 locations for DOT glasses operations in Kenya.\u200b<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Establish and run a revolving fund where 30 glasses kits&nbsp;were distributed to partner on credit.\u200b<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Train the staff of 7 partner to&nbsp; set up and support&nbsp; the DOT&nbsp;agents in Kenya.\u200b<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Build a local team and set up the DOT glasses (DG)&nbsp;&nbsp;headquarters in Kenya&nbsp; as the DG&nbsp;&nbsp; transitions its&nbsp;headquarters&nbsp; from Czech Republic.\u200b<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/queenscommonwealthtrust.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/survey_files_1665473291-781a0666-6c60-431d-b776-1244913f40df-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1977\" srcset=\"https:\/\/queenscommonwealthtrust.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/survey_files_1665473291-781a0666-6c60-431d-b776-1244913f40df-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/queenscommonwealthtrust.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/survey_files_1665473291-781a0666-6c60-431d-b776-1244913f40df-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/queenscommonwealthtrust.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/survey_files_1665473291-781a0666-6c60-431d-b776-1244913f40df-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/queenscommonwealthtrust.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/survey_files_1665473291-781a0666-6c60-431d-b776-1244913f40df-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/queenscommonwealthtrust.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/survey_files_1665473291-781a0666-6c60-431d-b776-1244913f40df.jpg 1824w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">One of the DOT glasses shops that local entrepreneurs are equipped to run.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><em>\u201cQECT has given us the freedom to test a new approach to\u00a0distributing the glasses in the communities we work in, with\u00a0potential to scale massively. Alongside this they have given us\u00a0amazing support in analysing our business and identifying\u00a0where we need to improve.\u201d<\/em>\u200b<\/p>\n<cite>Adam Boxer<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>People who suffer from poor eyesight in&nbsp;low income&nbsp;communities often lack access to affordable eyecare and reading glasses.&nbsp;\u200bThis impacts their educational performance, financial productivity and life-chances.\u200b Adam Boxer, the co-founder of Wessex Social Ventures (WSV), is a designer and innovator who uses business thinking and frugal innovation to tackle the basic problems that hold people back [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":1976,"template":"","project-categories":[13],"class_list":["post-1974","project","type-project","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","project-categories-education-and-employability"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Wessex Social Venture - 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