Mission Clear Vision Himachal Pradesh: Government of Himachal Pradesh, VisionSpring Foundation, and redBus Conquer Rupin Pass to Reach 5,000 People through the Clear Vision Trek – Himalayas
Shimla, India, 07th November, 2025: Today the VisionSpring Foundation, in partnership with the Government of Himachal Pradesh and redBus, the world’s largest online bus ticketing platform, has completed a 10-day trek across Himachal Pradesh, screening the vision of 5,000 people living in remote communities for the very first time.
The trekking team and experts updated the Honourable Governor on the success of the mission and thanked him for the support from the Government of Himachal Pradesh. The Honourable Governor conveyed his best wishes and extended full support to make Himachal Pradesh a clear vision state.
Between 9 October and 18 October 2025, the VisionSpring Foundation team, eye health experts, and school children from across the world trekked across the Himalayas to raise awareness and highlight the importance of clear vision. They visited remote areas in Shimla and Kinnaur districts, including Rohru, Jiskun, Jakha, Rupin Pass, Reckong Peo, and Sangla. During this journey, VisionSpring Foundation brought the gift of clear vision to local communities through eye screenings and dispensing of quality eyeglasses. Chitkul, the first village of India, also benefitted from this initiative.
This initiative is part of the VisionSpring Foundation’s wider mission to tackle blurry vision in India. Across the country there are an estimated 55 crore people who have blurry vision and need eyeglasses to see clearly, including 30 lakh people in Himachal Pradesh alone.
Dr. Jordan Kassalow, Founder of VisionSpring’s Mission: “My journey with VisionSpring began years ago with a volunteer trek to bring clear vision to remote communities in Mexico – an experience that shaped my purpose and inspired our mission. Completing the Clear Vision Himalayas trek feels like coming full circle. Once again, we walked to reach people who’ve never had their eyes tested before. It’s been a powerful reminder that everyone, everywhere, deserves the right to see clearly. I’m deeply grateful to our partners and proud of what we’ve achieved together.
Anshu Taneja, Managing Director at VisionSpring’s Mission in India, said: “This 10-day trek through the Himalayas allowed us to reach people in remote communities who have never had access to vision screenings. It underlines that even a 700-year-old technology like eyeglasses is still out of reach for many. There is much more to do, and we will continue working to extend affordable eyecare to underserved communities across the country. We are grateful to the Government of Himachal Pradesh, WHO, redBus, Indiahikes, and Sewa International, for their partnership in making this trek possible.
Jineshlal, Executive Director at Sewa International, said: ‘It was a pleasure to support VisionSpring Foundation on this unique initiative, the Clear Vision Trek – Himalayas. We’re proud to have partnered with VisionSpring Foundation to help make it possible and support the mission of bringing clear vision to remote communities.’
The Power of Partnerships
A significant meeting in Shimla on 18 October 2025 marked the completion of the trek with special wishes from the Governor’s office. The event was attended by ministers, senior government officials, corporates, NGOs, eye care professionals, and medical experts, celebrating those who had their vision screened for the first time and receiving a pair of eyeglasses, while highlighting the importance of clear vision and raising awareness about tackling blurry vision.
Shri Shiv Pratap Shukla, Honourable Governor of Himachal Pradesh, said: “Blurry vision is a major issue impacting thousands of people in Himachal Pradesh, making it harder for drivers to see clearly, for children to learn, and for people to be productive at work. We applaud the efforts of VisionSpring Foundation and redBus in conducting vision screenings and dispensing eyeglasses to people who are a vital part of our community. This ongoing initiative will transform lives, not just in Himalayan communities, but across India.”
The vision screenings will continue until December 2025, with the aim of reaching 5,000 people across the Himalayas. This will include conducting screenings and dispensing eyeglasses to 4,100 remote villagers, 500 school children and 400 commercial drivers in some of the most isolated parts of the region.
By collaborating with government and private partners, we have been able to raise awareness about the importance of accessible, affordable eyecare, and will be able to reach more people to provide them with the eyeglasses they need to see clearly and thrive.
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