Buy One Give One

You buy one.
We give one.

For every Ballo frame sold, a South African schoolchild who needs glasses gets a pair. The African Eye Institute tests their eyes and fits the lenses, free.

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1:1One frame given for every pair sold, in store, online and through our stockists.
  • A frame for a learner with every pair sold
  • Free eye tests and lenses through the African Eye Institute
  • A tree planted with Greenpop for every pair sold online

Why it matters

40%

of high-school learners may need glasses to see the board clearly.

Nearly half a classroom can't read the board or the questions on an exam paper.

In South Africa, unemployment and under-resourced schools mean most of those learners can't afford glasses. They fall behind, not because they can't learn, but because they can't see.

A pair of glasses lets a learner engage with their teacher, their classwork and their friends. It's one of the simplest ways to open a path to education.

Source: Nationwide Children's Hospital

How one pair becomes two

Nothing to add at checkout. The give is built into every Ballo frame, in store, online and through our stockists.

  1. You choose your Ballo

    Bio-acetate, cork or walnut, handmade from renewable and upcycled materials.

  2. We donate a frame

    For every pair sold, we send a frame to our partner, the African Eye Institute.

  3. AEI tests and fits

    Through One School at a Time, AEI screens learners at South Africa's most vulnerable schools and fits lenses free.

  4. A learner sees the board

    And we plant a tree with Greenpop for every pair sold online, so the project is carbon positive too.

Why we started

“To see things differently, you first have to be able to see them.”

When my son was ten months old, I found out he needed glasses. In our consultations with the ophthalmologist I learned how many children at school need them, and how many can't afford them.

I've seen the difference glasses have made in my son's life. The thought of learners who can't read the board kept me up at night, so we made every Ballo frame give one to a child who needs it.

Alistair · Founder, Ballo

Watch the launch film

Open on YouTube

Who we give with

Greenpop

Plants a tree for every pair sold online.

B Corp

Ballo is a certified B Corporation.

Questions

Does every pair count?

Yes. Every frame sold in our stores, online and through our stockists gives a frame to a learner.

Who receives the glasses?

Learners in South Africa who need glasses, at schools the African Eye Institute works with through its One School at a Time project.

Who does the eye tests and lenses?

We donate the frames. The African Eye Institute's team tests each learner's eyes and fits the lenses, free of charge.

How do I know where my frame went?

Sign up for our emails above and we'll share where the frames go: the schools, the screenings and the learners.

See things differently. Give the gift of sight.

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