Evelyn Velasquez-Moreno

Professor Khanjan Mehta

Creative Inquiry 

24 January 2020 

First Blog Post: Addressing Blindness in Kenya 

I enrolled in this course because I believe Lehigh students, as well as myself, are positive leaders and role models who wish to edify their campus by sharing their interests, fostering a welcoming environment and inspiring other students to take action. I want to contribute to the world and my community by drawing on my own experiences as a Latina, a leader and a team builder. I have a passion for helping others, expanding diversity and building community, and being able to participate in a program from which I will help change the world, is the first step I need to take in order for this to happen. Furthermore, this course will make me a better student because I will be given the opportunity to develop a better mindset and skill set. I will learn foundational skills that will help me with complex problem solving, service orientation and people management, which is important for me to learn in order to prepare for the job force and for when I am working with my malnutrition group in Sierra Leone. This course will shape me into a benefactor for others through the development of my skills and mindset. In addition, not only will this course make me a better student, but it will provide me with experiences that involve leadership and teamwork, community and engagement. 

As addressed, the World Health Organization has estimated that over one billion people need glasses, however, they do not have access to them because of the lack of resources, only having at least one optometrist per one million people. This is a crisis that is impacting the lives of many people because it is limiting their inability to perform in their everyday activities. 

The solution that I have to address this problem is to work towards achieving social impact; my first step will be to develop and have real, meaningful authentic projects that can work towards helping public health issues in developing countries. How can we feel good about what we are doing? The reality is that helping to address global health problems, such as finding solutions to prevent blindness in Kenya, is a process that people have been doing all of their lives, such as volunteering in hospitals and communities.

It is important to realize this: Figuring out solutions to world health issues, such as world hunger and blindness can have its steps; but, how would it be the same to find a preventable solution to cure the risk of going blind in developing countries? We have created a cycle that keeps people dependent on things on a monthly basis for things that are often not well balanced. In this situation, we would need to provide the people of Kenya with the right health access to eye glasses.

It is important to engage the world with television commercials, build boards and other news that can alter this conflict in Kenya. However, even with all of this work that people are doing, millions and millions are people are still suffering from potential blindness. 

Another solution that I would address is to set out to use technology to propose these solutions. Get involved with optometrist’s and companies who are technologically advanced. I believe that technology and innovation have the power to solve real global issues. I would address to work and set up an app, with the motto of ‘Help More and Waste Less,’ from which we can work with brands and corporations in order to divert eye glasses into the hands that need this the most. That can be addressed as social inequality– which occurs when resources are distributed unequally around the world. Those who have enough to own eye glasses, but do not need it; on the other hand, there are those who need eye glasses, but do not have enough to own a pair because of their social class. 

Blindness in developing countries is not being solved, the truth is that it is really just being worked on. There are hundreds of social entrepreneurs around the world, but they will never get to think enough to solve this problem. By addressing the problem of blindness, we can solve other problems. We need to introduce new policies, and change mind and actions; the reality is that this does not solve blindness in Kenya– we can do far more than giving a family eye-glasses. Perhaps we can increase the productivity of organization and technology. In the end, however, it is important to realize this: We have nothing to lose and everything to gain.