Crafting a vision care movement to help Kashmiri artisans, stitch by stitch. We restore sight, and we restore livelihoods .HELP Foundation, in collaboration with One Sight Essilor Luxottica Foundation
In the shadowed interiors of Kashmir’s artisan households—where walnut wood is chiseled into intricacies and threads are woven into tapestries of tradition—a quiet struggle dims the beauty being created: poor vision. For these artisans, whose livelihood depends on precision and detail, even the slightest visual impairment can spell a loss of income, identity, and independence. Now, a ground-breaking partnership between the HELP Foundation, j &K and OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation is changing that. With the support of the Directorate of Health Services, Kashmir and premier partner Sharp Sight Eye Hospital, the two organizations have launched a comprehensive eye health campaign—targeting unserved and underserved artisan families across the valley. This initiative goes far beyond routine check-ups. It delivers end-to-end vision care—from community screening camps to free surgeries, from spectacle distribution to follow-up support, even offering transportation for patients needing advanced care.
The Numbers behind the Vision
The scope of the program is both impressive and deeply humane:
47 screening camps in artisan-dense areas
Targeted Districts : Srinagar, Budgam, Baramulla and Bandipora
6,500+ individuals screened
3,398 spectacles distributed (for myopia, hypermetropia & presbyopia)
2,160 referrals to hospitals for serious conditions
29 successful eye surgeries completed
Ongoing diabetic and general health consultations
Pick-and-drop and follow-up calls for post-operative care
Most of these artisans have never had an eye test before. Some had silently suffered for years, believing vision loss was a normal part of aging. For them, receiving glasses or undergoing cataract surgery was life-changing—often allowing them to resume work, support families, and reconnect with life. But the work doesn’t’t stop at screening. Artisans are given free pick-and-drop transport to hospitals, follow-up calls post-surgery, and general health consultations, including diabetic check-ups, ensuring that eye care is holistic and accessible.
“With continued support and growing demand, the foundation plans to expand the initiative to remote areas of Ganderbal, Anantnag, and Kulgam, ensuring all artisans are included. This is more than a health project; it’s a movement of light and livelihood that reaches into the soul of Kashmir through the eyes of its people.”
Preserving Culture, One Eye At A Time: Most of these artisans work in dimly lit homes, in remote villages, often without access to aprimary health center. Many suffer in silence, unaware that their fading vision can be corrected—or afraid that treatment is beyond their means. This initiative changed that. It brings expert care to their doorstep. It assures them that they are seen, valued, and supported. In a region where eyes have witnessed both breath-taking beauty and unspeakable turmoil, this act of restoring sight carries a deeper meaning. It is not merely a medical intervention—it is a cultural preservation, an economic revival, and a humanitarian act.
Good vision doesn’t just help you see the world—it helps you shape your place in it.
HELP Foundation’s long-standing commitment to the welfare of vulnerable communities finds perfect synergy with oneSight’s global mission to eliminate uncorrected poor vision. Together, they are scripting a powerful narrative of inclusion—one artisan, one child, one pair of eyes at a time.
“As the sun rises over the Jhelum and the loom clacks back to life, there is something else stirring in the air—the light of clarity, the hope of renewal, and the vision of a better tomorrow.”
With continued support and growing demand, the foundation aims to expand this initiative to remote belts of Gandarbal, Anantnag and Kulgam districts, ensuring that no artisan is left behind in the dark. This is more than a health project. It is a movement of light and livelihood, reaching deep into Kashmir’s soul—through the eyes of its people.
(The author is Sr. Manage at HELP Foundation Srinagar. The views, opinions and conclusions expressed in this article are those of the author and aren’t necessarily in accord with the views of “Kashmir Horizon”)
Assma Qureshi
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