Celebrating 70 Years of Vision: Zimbabwe Council for the Blind Marks a Legacy of Sight

This May, the Zimbabwe Council for the Blind proudly marks 70 years of dedicated eye health service delivery a remarkable journey that began in 1955 in the vibrant city of Bulawayo. What started as a small initiative with just a handful of committed individuals has evolved into a national leader in the fight against preventable blindness and in the promotion of accessible eye care.

A Legacy Rooted in Prevention

The Council’s founding vision, championed with support from the British Empire Society for the Blind (now Sight Savers International), was simple yet profound: to prevent blindness and ensure access to eye health services for all Zimbabweans. From the earliest days, mobile eye units formed the backbone of outreach, traveling into remote and underserved areas to deliver vital services from eye screening and treatment to minor ophthalmic procedures. As illustrated below showing old pictures of late 1990s.

Taking Vision Further: Our Core Programmes

Over the decades, the Council expanded its focus while remaining grounded in its mission to restore and preserve sight. Today, our work spans four key areas:

1. Prevention and Eradication of Blindness
   Our mobile eye clinics continue to play a critical role, reaching thousands each year. These teams provide primary eye care, identify patients needing further attention, and carry out cataract surgeries and other minor surgical procedures.
   Zimbabwe Council for the Blind has grown from mobile eye clinics to establishment of static eye units/ vision centres working with the Ministry of Health and Child Care, so far the organization boosts of 22 eye units set up as of 2025 from two vision centres in the 1950s.
2. Spectacle Production
   In our pursuit of affordable solutions, we strive to provide quality, low-cost spectacles. These essential assistive devices are distributed especially to those from lower-income groups who would otherwise struggle to access vision correction or treatment.
3. Open Education through Vision Support
   While our core mission is medical, we understand the importance of vision in learning. We support schools with resource centers to ensure children with visual challenges can learn alongside their peers and school screening take place alongside. Our aim is to enable all learners to realize their potential with the vision support they need.
4. Strengthening Vision Care Infrastructure
   From a modest start in borrowed spaces, the Council has grown to operate from its own purpose-built headquarters in Bulawayo. This modern facility houses workshops, administrative offices, and equipment essential for delivering quality services across the country.

Growing with Zimbabwe

From the initial focus in Matabeleland, our services have now expanded to every province, reaching communities in urban, peri-urban, and rural settings alike. Our outreach model ensures that even the most remote populations benefit from timely and affordable eye care.

Over the past seven decades, we’ve seen millions of consultations, tens of thousands of refractions, and widespread distribution of spectacles, all with the unwavering goal of restoring sight and enhancing quality of life. We are proud to hold an average   of 100000 consultations, distribute 10000 spectacles, 6500 cataract surgeries and 1650 other minor and major surgeries annually.

Looking Ahead with Gratitude and Vision

Our achievements would not have been possible without the support of key partners, including Government of Zimbabwe, Sight Savers International, CBM (Christoffel Blinden Mission), the Beit Trust, Lions Clubs, IPAB internationals, PEEK Vision, IAPB, OAK Foundation, The Rotarians, PEEK Vision , Onesight Essilor Luxottica Foundation ,Vision Catalyst and numerous Zimbabwean professionals and volunteers whose dedication and generosity have sustained us.

As we celebrate 70 years of eye health services, we recommit ourselves to reaching every corner of Zimbabwe with affordable, accessible, and high-quality eye care. Because clear vision is not a luxury it is a right. We intend to also focus on other eye conditions apart from cataract surgeries and refractive errors inclusive of Low Vision, Diabetic Retinopathy and Glaucoma on a larger scale

Our Mission Continues:

• Prevention of Blindness
• Education for the Visually Impaired
• Rehabilitation for the Visually Impaired
• Producing and Supplying Low-Cost Spectacles