Johanna Lisiak & Katharina Suter
2025
Switzerland & Africa
Accepting a challenge and delivering big time!
Collecting glasses since 2015
It all started at the end of 2015 with the question: Can we collect 88 pairs of glasses in the next few months? Challenge accepted! And in the meantime, we have answered yes to this question 37 times, four times a year. To date, we have collected 3256 pairs of glasses. Converted this number in theater and concert halls, that's almost the equivalent of the Metropolitan Opera in NYC or two sold-out performances (nota bene: only for spectacle wearers) at La Scala di Milano or the Semper Opera in Dresden. It will be a while before we have the Arena di Verona with 14’000 seats, but we are working on it!
Of course, it's not about numbers, but about supporting the financially poorest of the poor with something as valuable as a pair of glasses. As many of us at TOY know all too well, we couldn't live without glasses. Most of us wear contact lenses, so we are probably not exaggerating when we say that almost all of us are personally confronted with the issue of “corrected vision” on a daily basis. What's more, many of us even have a special drawer in our homes in which we keep our old glasses.
Why actually? Although these old glasses are no longer (probably never again) needed, they are probably too valuable to simply throw them in the bin, aren't they? They were probably not cheap financially either, because glasses are rarely cheap. In short: the glasses are still there because they are worth something to us. But how much more expensive do glasses have to be where there is not enough money for the essentials? Example: In India, a craftsman earns USD 350, an average pair of glasses costs USD 790. This means that in many countries, glasses often cost a whole month's salary or more (Nigeria salary USD 200 vs. 320 glasses; Burkina Faso salary USD 150 vs. 120 glasses).
We are already collecting the next 88 pairs. Why not use this as an opportunity for a new challenge? Can we collect 88 extra pairs of glasses together with TOY and so we can achieve 2 x 88 in our 38th quarter? We would be very happy! If you have glasses, please contact Katharina at: katharinasuter@bluewin.ch
A big thank you from both of us already!
Thank you so much Joanna and Katharina
Every view matters
Love and TOY Monique