Our Impact
The Painga Project Vision System was built to remove the vision barriers to learning facing some NZ school children because glasses should be accessible for all children to fully engage in their educational journey and their world. Our work is now expanding to support equitable access to eye care for adults delivered within their communities.
We use the most up-to-date technology, working closely with schools and communities to demystify optometry and embed it as a right for every child and adult who needs our support.
Our one full-time Auckland vision screener currently screens over 9,000 students a year with 20-30% of students within our schools needing to have a full optometry assessment on Celia, our mobile optometry clinic. Celia has been designed and built to be able to carry out over 7,000 optometry exams each school year when fully staffed with two optometrists. 80% of students who come onboard Celia will receive a set of our fully funded glasses, ensuring that New Zealand adults and children can access free or affordable eyecare.
9,000 tamariki vision screened in school in 2025
20-30% receive a full optometry exam in school
80% of those seen on Celia need glasses
We currently cover over 60 high Equity Index Auckland primary and intermediate schools vision screening the entire school on our first visit than new entrant arrivals from then on. Ensuring all students are screened. For hearing we screen new entrants, with students who require it, being referred to our Diagnostic Audiologist for the next stage of support.
In Wellington, we've screened 16 Whānau Manaaki kindergartens three times as part of our pre-school pilot, with 17% of those screened coming onboard Celia.
Over one day with WELLfed and one day with the Wellington City Mission, we provided over 100 pairs of ready-reader glasses and completed over 40 full eye exams.
Our model and our impact will continue to evolve and grow to ensure that all New Zealand adults and children can access free or affordable eyecare and hearing support.
