PALA Eyewear was founded in 2016 and yes, it is another British brand that I am introducing here. However, this brand is a bit different because they have a very interesting story to tell. I met the founder John back in 2016 when PALA first launched and what a lovely man. He had no background in eyewear but he wanted to create an eyewear brand that helps African communities. PALA eyewear also partnered up with UK based charity Vision Aid Overseas. Together, they provide the basic eye care to different communities that need it.
In developed parts of the world, we take eyecare for granted. If we need glasses or have any other eye-related problems, we can just go to our local opticians, but in the less developed parts of the world, this is a challenge. There are not enough eye care professionals and even if they had access to eye care and glasses, it is not affordable due to the lack of income. So what do they do? They carry on struggling with their daily lives. I need glasses to see, I cannot imagine life without my glasses and how much of a struggle it would be.
When an optician stocks PALA, you are helping them spread the seeds and make people aware of the brand. Not forgetting you will also be helping PALA to raise the much-needed funds to build on and improve the current outreach programmes they have in Africa. To any consumers who may be reading this, by purchasing a pair of PALA, you are helping to keep all these outreach programmes running and are helping them to grow.
This is how Pala works;
“Through the sale of each pair of Pala sunglasses, grants will be provided to create vision centres, dispensaries and screening programmes in Africa. Each project or programme provides a cost per patient seen and PALA is, therefore, able to work back to the necessary donation required from the sale of each pair of sunglasses to match that patient cost, thus fulfilling their ‘buy-give’ promise”
So, it is actually quite a clever model. PALA is currently asking for investors on the crowdfunding site Indiegogo to raise $40,000 (£31,000) to develop a new range of sustainable bio-acetate sunglasses. The money raised will also go towards funding outreach projects in Ethiopia which will provide vital training and eye care to patients in disadvantaged areas. Go and check it out by following this link.
As well as providing eye care for people, all of the PALA glasses cases are hand woven by a local community that is based in a remote upper East region of the country. It is woven using traditional methods but using waste plastic. So PALA is also helping to create jobs which is also much needed.
Check out the PALA Eyewear range, they are fashion forward with some very wearable shapes too, not forgetting the quality is also pretty good. Soon, hopefully, they will be using sustainable materials too so by wearing PALA, we are helping people and the planet one baby step at a time.
