Archive · 12 Oct 2026
Sightsavers Launches Eye-Care Programme for Weavers and Artisans
Sightsavers India has started a programme called “Looms and Lenses.”
It will help weavers and artisans get their eyes checked.
People who need them may also receive spectacles or referrals for further care.
The programme will start in Odisha and may later reach other states.
Its goal is to reach one million people and provide four lakh spectacles by 2030.
Weavers need clear eyesight to do detailed work.
The organisers say eye care can help protect people’s work and income.
Actor Kabir Bedi launched the programme in New Delhi.
Sightsavers India launched its national “Looms and Lenses” programme to improve eye-care access for weavers and artisans.
The programme aims to reach one million people and provide four lakh spectacles by 2030.
It will begin in Odisha, offering eye screenings, spectacles and referrals to weaving communities before expanding to other states.
Actor Kabir Bedi launched the initiative in New Delhi and said good eyesight supports weavers’ livelihoods and dignity.
Officials said the programme builds on Sightsavers India’s partnership with Odisha’s Handlooms, Textiles and Handicrafts Department.
- Who
- Sightsavers India, with actor Kabir Bedi launching the programme and Odisha government partners supporting it.
- What
- The “Looms and Lenses” programme will provide eye screenings, spectacles and referrals for weavers and artisans.
- When
- It was launched at an event in New Delhi; the date was not stated. It aims to provide four lakh spectacles by 2030.
- Where
- The launch took place in New Delhi; the programme will begin in Odisha before expanding to other states.
- Why
- To improve access to eye care and help protect the productivity, income and independence of weaving communities.
- Programme
- Looms and Lenses
- Organiser
- Sightsavers India
- Target reach
- One million people
- Spectacle target
- Four lakh by 2030
- Starting state
- Odisha
- Handloom workforce cited
- 3.5 million weavers in India, 72 per cent of them women
- Previous Odisha camps
- Eye-care camps in Cuttack and Bargarh reached around 1,000 people