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== '''VisionSpring''' ==

VisionSpring, formerly Scojo Foundation, is a social enterprise founded by Jordan Kassalow and Scott Berrie in 2001, a year after Kassalow co-founded Scojo Vision LLC, a designer and distributor of high-end reading glasses. <ref>http://www.draperrichards.org/fellows/visionspring.html</ref>


'''Mission''': To ensure that there is equitable and affordable eyeglass available to every individual to live a productive life.


=== About VisionSpring ===
VisionSpring aims to reduce poverty in the developing world by training entrepreneurs to give eye screenings, sell eyeglasses to the different communities and to refer customers who needed prescription glasses to a VisionSpring optometrist.  ItBy understanding the needs of low-income customers, VisionSpring designs simple but strong glasses and tries to reduce the economic cost of vision loss, which amounts to $3 trillion a year.<ref>http://94.236.6.207/download/?Key=xGkrOu3skrc6DceOOZirWI%2FpY+rkYXP+7SRqQMjAQXdt84G1oIQFcQPeVq0GBARYSJuxzAk24MfwjFdUAPTDuun614qJy3IcNQHg1NSJCmQ%3D</ref>It also works according to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bottom_of_the_pyramid| base of economic pyramid (BoP) ]<ref>Ted, L. (2009, May). ''Making Better Investments at the base of the pyramid''. Retrieved September 14, 2011 from http://hbr.org/2009/05/making-better-investments-at-the-base-of-the-pyramid/ar/1</ref>.


Once hired, a vision entrepreneur will receive a package containing marketing materials and the details required to carry out an eye test. For every pair of glasses sold, the vision entrepreneur will earn between $1.50 and $3.50. Some 9000 women under VisionSpring’s community have sold over 600,000 pairs of reading glasses throughout seven countries including India and South Africa. By understanding the needs of low-income customers, VisionSpring designs simple but strong glasses and tries to reduce the economic cost of vision loss, which amounts to $3 trillion a year.<ref>http://94.236.6.207/download/?Key=xGkrOu3skrc6DceOOZirWI%2FpY+rkYXP+7SRqQMjAQXdt84G1oIQFcQPeVq0GBARYSJuxzAk24MfwjFdUAPTDuun614qJy3IcNQHg1NSJCmQ%3D</ref>



=== Impact and Success ===
VisionSpring has impacted 11 countries, benefitting both vision entrepreneurs and their customers. With improved vision, customers were able to improve their productivity and effectiveness which in turn increase their income with improved vision. Vision entrepreneurs are empowered with a job that sustains a livelihood though the sales of the glasses. These cause an aggregate increment in the nations’ [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_domestic_product| GDP]. Studies have show(contracted; show full)


The Vision Entrepreneurs, who will conduct eyesight screening, are trained shortly within 3 days, the reliability of their assessment skills can be questioned. <ref>http://inspiredeconomist.com/2011/08/31/visionspring-a-model-toms-shoes-would-be-wise-to-adopt/</ref>

== References ==
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