Martin Aufmuth: “We have already been able to adapt more than 400,000 OneDollarGlasses”

According to the WHO, more than 950 million people worldwide currently have no access to optical care. Reasons for this include, for example, that people do not have enough money to buy glasses or there are simply no opticians nearby. Martin Aufmuth therefore invented the OneDollarGlasses , a cheap yet robust pair of glasses, in the workshop in the basement of his house. In 2012, the math and physics teacher founded the OneDollarGlasses eV and has since then ensured that people in countries in the Global South also have access to visual aids. We were able to talk to him about this great project, which you can also support by buying a pair of glasses from our new collection with Mister Spex , and of course we had some burning questions!

What was the beginning of EinDollarBrille eV and why have glasses become a matter close to your heart?

In 2010 I read in the book "Out of Poverty" by Paul Polak that one of the last great inventions for countries in the Global South was glasses that people who live on one dollar or less a day could afford. I thought briefly: It's a shame that this doesn't exist, the WHO or opticians' associations etc. should look into it and read on. The next day I happened to see a cheap Chinese ready-made reading glasses for 1 euro in the 1-euro shop in Erlangen! I thought it was strange that such cheap glasses exist in our rich Germany and not in Africa. I started researching, studied around 1,000 patents and began experimenting with different materials. The goal was glasses that were robust, very cheap to produce and looked good. The lenses should also be easy to replace. After a few months they were finished - the first one-dollar glasses, initially as simple glasses without folding temples...

The project name already reveals what it is about, but why glasses in particular, why are they so important in the Global South?

More than 950 million people in the world need glasses but cannot afford them. Children cannot learn, adults cannot work and provide for their families. According to a 2019 WHO study, the resulting global loss of income amounts to over USD 269 billion annually. We are actually trying to solve a global problem strategically. However, not with billions in development aid, but by building independent, social entrepreneurial structures.

The One Dollar Glasses consist of an extremely light, flexible and stable spring steel frame. Colored beads and shrink tubing give them an individual design. The One Dollar Glasses are manufactured on site on a simple bending machine that does not require electricity and can therefore also be used easily in poor rural regions of the Global South. The material costs for one pair of glasses are around 1 US dollar (including wire, lenses, shrink tubing and beads). The selling price is 2 to 3 local daily wages for a simple worker.

Glasses can be made in different sizes and for different pupil distances. The pre-ground lenses are made of plastic and are break- and scratch-resistant. The range consists of pre-ground lenses in strengths from -10 to +8 diopters (in increments of 0.5 diopters). The pre-made lenses can be clicked into the frame with a simple movement of the hand. The fastest glasses in the world are ready! Expensive milling machines and electricity for grinding the lenses are superfluous with this system.

How do the finished glasses get to the wearers? Who does the eye tests, who sells the glasses?

First of all, there is the sales concept: In the countries in which EinDollarBrille eV is active, many people do not have the money to travel into town or to the nearest clinic to buy glasses there. As part of eye camps - local campaigns in people's environments - the patients are tested on site in their everyday environment and immediately receive individually adjusted glasses. The EinDollarBrille eV teams bring glasses frames in different sizes and a box with the ready-ground lenses to the eye camps. This means that the glasses do not take long to adjust and many people can be supplied. This means that a second visit to the optician is not necessary, which would often not be possible anyway due to the costs. EinDollarBrille eV is also setting up additional sales channels in the project countries, such as its own shops or sales rooms in clinics and other institutions that already exist locally.

Then there are special training courses: For this purpose, EinDollarBrille eV has developed its own one-year training concept for best spherical correction in close cooperation with ophthalmologists and opticians. This training enables you to reliably find the best possible spherical lens during the eye test and to adjust the glasses expertly.

Likewise, women and men are trained locally in the production of OneDollarGlasses. After successful completion, the OneDollarGlasses producers can produce high-quality glasses frames themselves. Trained quality inspectors ensure the consistent quality of the locally manufactured glasses frames.

How expensive is training to become an optician or eyeglass maker and how long does it take?

The major problem worldwide is that there are not enough skilled workers in countries in the Global South. Training to become an optician takes 3 or 5 years and costs a lot of money. After training, most opticians go to big cities or abroad because they can earn more money there and the high training costs are paid off more quickly.

This is our second starting point. We are making a valuable contribution by developing the one-year curriculum (EDB curriculum for the best possible spherical correction/curriculum for the training in best spherical correction) for training as an optical specialist (GoodVision Technician (GVT)). The costs for this vary from country to country: for example, the one-year training to become an optical specialist in India costs around EUR 2,000 for one person, but in Bolivia it only costs EUR 1,000.

Why did you decide against donations and giving the glasses away? Can everyone still afford glasses?

The glasses cost the wearer more than a dollar. The selling price of the glasses is 2-3 local daily wages. In Malawi, for example, that is around 5 euros or the price of a chicken or a plate of food in a restaurant. Anyone can afford that or save money. In Bolivia, the glasses cost around 8 euros - wages are higher there too. Here, the selling price would be several times higher (approx. 200 euros, the minimum daily wage in Germany for an 8-hour day is 75 euros).

The proceeds from the sale of the glasses are intended to fully finance the material, production and distribution costs. This is the only way to ensure an unlimited supply of glasses for an unlimited number of people. It would not be possible to finance glasses for 950 million people on a permanent basis using donations. In addition, jobs are created in the target countries. If we sell glasses, we have a larger budget available overall and can help more people. We are also more likely to receive feedback from people who have paid money (even if only a little) for glasses. They will complain if the glasses do not fit properly. This way we can improve our work.

People who urgently need the glasses to secure their livelihood receive the glasses at a reduced price or for free. Children's glasses are generally given away free of charge.

Germany & Co. are already donating old glasses. This is a sustainable way of passing things on. Why exactly did you decide to make your own glasses?

Finding the "right eyes" for used glasses is a lot of work. Even if this were to be successful, the recipient of the old glasses would have a problem if they broke. A suitable replacement might not be available. In this case, the initially proud owner of the old glasses might only have had the opportunity to experience briefly how much easier life would be with glasses. Joseph's story is an example of this problem.

Adapting, reworking and sending donated old glasses or their lenses from "rich" countries costs around 20 US dollars. In addition to this cost factor, the emotional factor is also not insignificant. People on low incomes do not get a discarded old pair of glasses, but rather a pair of attractive glasses made especially for them, and they can choose the color of their choice.

We have also found that wearing "fancy" glasses is also a certain status symbol and that people therefore put on old glasses that are unsuitable for their eyes. This can cause damage to the eyes. For these reasons, we do not collect old glasses to send them to the Global South.

That is why we have local workers in our project countries produce simple, standardized glasses frames by hand. An essential aspect of our work is the training and use of local workers - One Dollar Glasses creates jobs in the countries: in production, eye testing and sales. However, this "help-to-self-help" principle plays no role in the distribution of old glasses.

What will happen to OneDollarGlasses in the future? What is your vision or mission?

Our vision is that everyone worldwide will have permanent access to basic optical care and to affordable, high-quality glasses.

Our mission: We want to achieve basic optical care for people worldwide: by training specialists, building structures and creating local jobs. Our work always follows the principle of creating the strongest, most positive social and societal impact possible that lasts as long as possible.

We are continuously working towards our goal of providing optical care to people around the world. We are also constantly expanding our reach and will be opening a new country in South America, Colombia, in the new year.

What do you hope to achieve from the cooperation with share?

We look forward to long-term support for our project in Burkina Faso, a country that is not only affected by Corona, but also by extreme weather conditions caused by climate change, political instability and terrorism. It is particularly important there to build and strengthen local structures. We achieve this with solid partnerships that guarantee long-term financial support.

Through the cooperation with share we also have the opportunity to make the work of OneDollarGlasses visible to a large circle of people who have not yet heard of our work for good vision in developing countries!