Nizar Mamdani, co-founder and CEO of First Sight Eyeglasses Inc., shows the eyeglass kit that is used to provide corrective lenses to people in underserved nations. MARY WOZNIAK/FLORIDA WEEKLY.
Developing countries around the world face numerous challenges, with hunger and poverty at the top of the list. But there is another issue that also impacts the ability of people in these countries to learn, hold down jobs and better their lives – impaired vision.
Nizar Mamdani and his wife Marsha are trying to fix that, one pair of eyeglasses at a time.
Their vision was to form a nonprofit to provide eyeglasses to underserved areas that are inexpensive to make and provided free to the people who will wear them.
There are about 1.3 billion people globally who suffer from nearsightedness and farsightedness and need corrective lenses, according to statistics from the World Health Organization and the Centre for Vision at Oxford. Many of them are in areas with little or no access to vision services. They include 260 million children under age 15 who have visual impairments. About 90% of these children live in developing countries.
Mamdani, 79, saw the problem firsthand in his 20 years of travels as the executive director and founder of International Healthcare at the University of Nebraska Medical Center/Nebraska Medicine. He ended up forming alliances with 124 healthcare institutions in 45 nations for the university.
Nizar Mamdani, co-founder and CEO of First Sight Eyeglasses Inc., shows the contents of the eyeglass kit used to provide corrective lenses to people in underserved nations. MARY WOZNIAK/FLORIDA WEEKLY
Now retired and living in Naples, the couple founded First Sight Eyeglasses Inc., a unique nonprofit that tackles the problem of poor vision. So far, Mamdani said that their program has already distributed over 145,000 pairs of glasses to children and adults in 32 countries, from Afghanistan to Vietnam.
His wife, who traveled with him much of the time, has a doctorate degree in education and worked in professional business training and education. She related how she visited schools and saw children who couldn’t see the blackboard sitting at the back of the class, Mamdani said.
“Kids don’t know they have bad eyesight,” he said. “In these countries, education is the only way they can get out of the cycle of poverty.”
Nizar Mamdani, co-founder and CEO of First Sight Eyeglasses Inc., was wearing his own pair of First Sight eyeglasses when he was interviewed.
If they can’t see, they end up getting discouraged and dropping out, giving up the ability to break the poverty cycle, Mamdani added. A lot of adults work in cottage industries to make a living. Again, if they are unable to see well, they lose their jobs.
Besides hurting the ability of people to make a living, poor vision also has an economic impact for the countries they live in, according to WHO. Researchers estimate that the global productivity losses due to uncorrected visual impairment in people aged 16-50 years is estimated to be more than $400 billion per year.
The WHO has identified six barriers to providing eyeglasses to the people who need them: the need for accurate, reliable screening, minimal requirements for electricity, the process needs to be mobile, sufficient training and staff, cost-effectiveness and suitability for children.
First Sight Eyeglasses meets and overcomes all these obstacles by providing a kit with everything needed, Mamdani said. They can provide affordable and accessible eyeglasses in under 10 minutes, he said. It’s low-tech. No doctors or professionals are required. Anyone can administer the program. No electricity is required. The kits are completely portable so they can be taken to remote areas, urban centers, rural villages, refugee camps or disaster-stricken areas. The glasses can be made at a minimal cost — $6.95 per pair, and even less for children’s glasses, Mamdani said. They are given free to the people who need them.
Nizar holds the chart used to test for far-sightedness. MARY WOZNIAK/FLORIDA WEEKLY
How does it work? The process is described on the nonprofit’s website and Mamdani demonstrated it during an interview with Florida Weekly.
The portable First Sight kit includes 220 lenses, 100 frames, two near-sight lens “trees” with 10 lenses of different strengths for near-sight and a far-sight lens tree with eight lenses of different strengths, pliers, a tape measure, E-charts for near-sight and far-sight, instructions and other elements. The kit weighs 19.5 pounds.
Here is a partial description of the process:
-
Testers/examiners set up the E-charts on a wall and measure off 20 feet. They record the name and age of the person being tested on a data sheet.
-
The person then covers or occludes the left eye with an eyesight blocker included in the kit. They read the Es on the eyechart by saying what direction the E is facing (using a hand gesture to indicate the direction.)
-
They move down the chart and identify the point at which they can no longer clearly identify the direction of the E.
-
The last line they read correctly is their uncorrected visual acuity.
-
The procedure is repeated for the right eye.
-
Using the screening lens bar/tree over the right eye with the left blocked, the tester increases the power by beginning with the “0” lens and then gradually increasing to the next lens strength level, until the person reads the 20/20 line or until they can’t read any further, that is, can’t read below the 20-60 line. With each step, the person being tested is asked whether they can see chart lines clearly or which lens feels better.
-
The procedure is repeated for the other eye.
-
Once the appropriate lens strengths are identified, a blank frame is taken (there are three to choose from), and the two appropriate lenses are snapped in.
-
Then the person goes in front of the eye chart again to make sure the lenses are correct.
The University of Nebraska Medical Center conducted a clinical trial of the First Sight Eyeglasses process and the glasses it produces.
Dr. Mike Feilmeier, cornea and external eye disease specialist at the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, provided this assessment:
“First Sight is highly effective in detecting and correcting refractive error and delivers results comparable to the gold standard of manifest refraction. This technique holds promise in its ability to reliably and cost-effectively treat refractive error, even in the hands of non-ophthalmic personnel.”
Another field trial was held by the Creighton Medical University in Guatemala and a field trial was held in the city of Cap-Haitian, Haiti, Mamdani said.
“My wife and I funded the project for years,” Mamdani said. After others saw their track record, they began partnering with the Lions Club, Rotary clubs, religious and faith-based organizations who took the kits with them on mission trips and other non-government organizations (NGO), he said.
First Sight also partnered with AdventHealth, which held global missions in Kenya and Peru. First Sight received this testimonial from Dave Kennedy, regional director of the mission in Peru:
“As a leader at AdventHealth Global Missions, I have witnessed the incredible impact that First Sight has made on our teams and the communities we serve,” he wrote. “First Sight has helped us provide amazing care in Peru by screening our patients for vision and being able to custom make eyeglasses for patients for under $7 each. This is a game-changer for people who have never had access to eye care before. It has provided meaningful service to our volunteers, who get to see the joy and gratitude of the people they help. And most importantly, it has given sight to the people of Peru, who can now see their loved ones, their work and their world more clearly. We love this company and will never take a trip again without their kits.”
Mamdani related his own experience talking with a female student in Ghana who had just received the glasses. She told him that the day before, she could only see the outline of a tree outside the classroom, Mamdani said. Now, she could see the leaves and the blossoms on the tree, the girl told him. It brought tears to his eyes.
“As far as I know, nobody has a system like ours,” Mamdani said.
First Sight Eyeglasses is seeking additional partners in its mission to help provide clear vision to those in need. For more information, visit firstsight.org or call Mamdani at +1-239-544-0610. ¦
Alumni Stories No. 26 – Mr. Nizar Mamdani
From Tanzania to ICU to 32 Countries: One ICU Graduate’s Mission to Give the World’s Children the Gift of Sight—For Free
​​​
Mr. Nizar Mamdani graduated from ICU in 1969. Having grown up in Tanzania, he decided to enroll at ICU following the footsteps of his brother Iqbal. He is now based in the United States and leads a nonprofit organization called First Sight Eyeglasses, which distributes free eyeglasses to children in need around the world.
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
I was born in Tanzania—a land of beauty and resilience, but also of limited opportunity, especially for those who dreamt of higher education. For many of us, the doors to university were tightly shut. But one miraculous door opened for me—Japan. And within it, ICU.
International Christian University didn’t just educate me—it transformed me. ICU shaped my values, my purpose, and ultimately, my life’s mission. It was there, among a diverse and compassionate student body, that I learned the principles that would guide me forever: Japanese discipline, deep respect for elders, loyalty, humility, and the courage to fight for what I believe in.
Living in the ICU dormitory (Dai Ni) taught me something equally powerful—the spirit of brotherhood and shared humanity. We were young, idealistic, and full of dreams. We cooked and cleaned together, shared stories late into the night, and built lifelong bonds. I remember my ofuro duty—feeding coal into the furnace to heat the water for everyone’s bath. That small, humble task taught me about service, cooperation, and doing one’s part for the good of the community. ICU wasn’t just a university—it was a crucible for character and compassion.
As a student, I worked (arubaito) at NHK and Nihon Television, and I taught Swahili at the Asian African Institute. These experiences helped me develop a strong sense of responsibility, communication, and global awareness. Eventually, I moved to the United States and enjoyed success in various ventures—investment banking, electronics, and real estate. I later served for 20 years as Executive Director for International Healthcare at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), where I had the honor of founding the International Healthcare Program.
At UNMC, my wife and I personally funded a free training program in oncology for healthcare professionals from developing countries. Over the years, we trained 147 doctors and specialists, who now serve in their home countries, using their advanced training to save lives and strengthen local health systems.
But the most fulfilling chapter of my life began after retirement—with a mission born from the values instilled in me at ICU.​​
Today, I lead a nonprofit called First Sight Eyeglasses, Inc. Our mission is simple: to give the gift of clear vision to schoolchildren around the world, completely free of charge. Since founding First Sight, we’ve distributed over 145,000 pairs of customized prescription eyeglasses in 32 countries—from rural villages in Tanzania and Malawi to underserved urban areas in the Philippines and Vietnam.
These children are often bright, motivated, and full of potential—but they’re held back by one simple barrier: they cannot see clearly. We developed a unique, portable vision screening and eyeglass-fitting system that requires no electricity, no trained professionals, and takes less than 10 minutes per child. The total cost? Just $6.95 per pair. Yet to the child who receives them, these glasses are priceless—they are a pathway to staying in school, learning, and dreaming bigger.
In Malawi, 38% of the children we screened needed glasses. In Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya, we see similar numbers. Even in the United States, our system is now used by Lions Clubs, faith-based organizations, AdventHealth hospitals, and schools to reach underserved students.
Every pair is provided free to the child—no exceptions. My wife and I have personally funded most of this work, and we are joined by a small but growing number of generous donors who believe, as we do, that education is the most powerful way to lift a child—and an entire generation—out of poverty.
But how can a child learn if they can’t see the board? First Sight’s mission is clear: keep children in school by helping them see clearly. One child, one classroom, one pair of glasses at a time.
As I reflect on my journey, I know with certainty that none of this would have happened without ICU. It was ICU that took in a young man from Tanzania, helped him find his voice, his values, and his vision—literally and metaphorically. ICU gave me the opportunity my country could not. And now, I am paying that gift forward, every day.
To today’s ICU students: what you’re learning now isn’t just information—it’s inspiration. You are being equipped to serve. To lead. To heal. To lift others. The world is waiting for you.
I left ICU more than 50 years ago, but ICU has never left me. It lives in every child we help, every school we visit, and every smile that comes when a child sees the world clearly for the first time.
With lifelong gratitude,
Nizar Mamdani
Founder, First Sight Eyeglasses
ICU Class of 1969
About the Author
Nizar Mamdani is the founder of First Sight Eyeglasses, Inc., a nonprofit organization providing free, customized prescription eyeglasses to schoolchildren in underserved communities across 32 countries. Born in Tanzania, Nizar graduated from International Christian University (ICU), Japan, in 1969. He later founded the International Healthcare Program at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), where he and his wife personally funded a free training program in oncology for 147 healthcare professionals from developing countries. These professionals now serve in their home countries, applying the skills gained at UNMC.
Earlier in his career, Nizar led successful ventures in investment, electronics, and real estate, and has traveled to more than 60 countries. He met his late wife, Nancy Hunt—an ICU JYA student, on ICU campus, and their first daughter was born in Tokyo. Nizar speaks seven languages. Nizar now devotes his life to philanthropy, helping children stay in school by restoring their sight, one pair of eyeglasses at a time. Nizar now lives in Naples, Florida. Mobile: +1-402-312-0012; www.firstsight.org.
April 18, 2025
Delivering free eyewear in 10 minutes
By Alexandra Cavalier
Providing free eye exams and prescription glasses in as little as 10 minutes, First Sight transforms lives in Naples and underserved countries around the world.
The initiative founded by local resident Nizar Mamdani continues to expand its reach, helping thousands see more clearly, regardless of where they live or what they can afford.
Born in East Africa, Mamdani attended college in Japan before relocating to the U.S. a little more than 50 years ago. He and his late wife, Nancy, relocated for treatment at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, or UNMC, after his first wife was diagnosed with lymphoma.
While in Nebraska, Mamdani contacted the university’s chancellor to start the center’s first International Healthcare program. As the program’s executive director, Mandani brought hundreds of patients to Nebraska for medical care from 59 different countries. In order to accomplish this, Mamdani spent more than six months traveling and visiting 235 possible partner institutions across 78 countries, forming 124 collaborative partnerships in 45 countries.
After his wife passed away, Mamdani shifted his focus.
In August 2001, he set up the Mamdani Philanthropy Program — a program to provide the best available patient care training program and education to healthcare professionals in underserved countries.
Mamdani continued to travel for this project. To train healthcare workers, he traveled with a UNMC team to many countries for conferences and conventions, including India and Thailand.
He met his second wife, Marsha, 20 years ago. With a doctorate in education, she frequently accompanied Mamdani on his trips, educating the students of the countries they visited.
“She would come back and say to me, ‘You know these kids are sitting in the back [of the classroom]. They’re not paying attention.’ She kept telling me all the time,” Mamdani said. “So, finally, we went and looked into what was causing this. We found out that the kids sitting in the back couldn’t see the blackboard.”
The concept for First Sight was conceived by Mamdani after the couple returned to Nebraska. But it wasn’t until he retired and relocated to Naples a few years ago that he had the time to devote himself to the project.
There are now 8 billion people in the world, and 1 billion people have uncorrected reflective errors. They need eyeglasses, but they don’t really have anywhere to go. If you go to remote areas in Africa, they have nowhere to go,” he said.
Before he founded the company, Mamdani wanted to address the World Health Organization’s six barriers to treat refractive errors in developing countries: accurate, reliable testing; lack of electricity; mobility; insufficient training of staff; cost effectiveness and sustainability for children.
“I wanted to make sure that we tick mark each one of these things before we start,” he said. “So, we did it. Our program is very low-tech. Everybody talks about high tech today. We wanted to go in the opposite direction because the people we serve don’t have high-tech things.
UNMC helped Mamdani conduct a comprehensive clinical trial of First Sight eyeglasses and its processes in the U.S. Field trials were also conducted in Haiti. Professionals found that the First Sight prescription system was about 98% as accurate as high-technology systems used today.
The prescription system is a First Sight kit that contains materials to outfit 100 people with eyeglasses. The kit includes:
• 220 lenses to fit the 100 included frames
• Two nearsighted lens trees
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
Nizar Mamdani, CEO of First Sight, poses with his portable eyeglass kit that can be used to provide affordable eyeglasses in under 10 minutes. Photo by Liz Gorman
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
Patients from Uganda wear First Sight eyeglasses. Photo courtesy First Sight
• One farsighted lens tree
• Two tumbling nearsighted E-charts
• One tumbling farsighted chart. It also includes an instruction trifold, a tape measure, an eye blocker and other helpful supplies. The kit weighs only 20 pounds.
There are 10 distinct lens strengths in the lens trees. A participant is positioned 20 feet from the tumbling E-chart. Using the eye blocker, the participant blocks one eye at a time and reads down the chart using the lens tree to find the perfect lens. The correct lens can then be snapped into the frame to create newly customized prescription glasses in under 10 minutes.
The service is free for patients. First Sight has collaborated with healthcare and educational institutions to bring First Sight services to more than 30 countries.
David Kennedy is executive director of Mission and Ministry at AdventHealth Mid America. AdventHealth started working with First Sight on a mission trip to Peru in 2021.
“We just found incredible results,” Dr. Kennedy said. “We were able to restore sight for a lot of people or improve sight for a lot of people. We haven’t been on a trip since we haven’t used First Sight kits.
Through its partnership with AdventHealth, First Sight now provides the kit on all of the company’s mission trips in 17 different countries.
First Sight is also making a local impact through the Naples Lions Club Foundation, where Mamdani served as a past president.
Dr. Howard Freedman has been a member of the local organization for 25 years and is a retired pediatric ophthalmologist. He has helped develop the Naples Lions Club screening program, providing free eye and hearing screening and glasses to Collier County residents.
Residents used to receive recycled eyeglasses from the Naples Lions Club, but those might not be the right prescription. First Sight eliminates this problem.
Now, when people come to see us in the screening, and we determine the new glasses, if the glasses are asymmetric, we can provide the exact lens into the glasses or whatever it is that the patient needs,” Freedman said. “That is a tremendous addition to what we’re doing, so we can get people who come to us a pair of glasses that they can utilize that fit their needs.
First Sight has made a significant impact.
If you see people when they get eyeglasses, it will melt your heart. It’s so rewarding to see how it changes their life,” Mamdani said. “We travel a lot every year, and we go to different places. These teams from Advent Hospital are all volunteers — many are nurses; many are doctors, and I hear stories. It’s the same story that I have experienced, and my wife, Marsha, has experienced time and again. It’s the joy. It’s the changing of life. That’s the greatest pleasure.”
“Everybody talks about high tech today. We wanted to go in the opposite direction because our people we serve don’t have high-tech things.”
—Nizar Mamdani, of Naples, founder of First Sight
Copyright (c) 2025 Naples Press, Edition 4/18/2025
Powered by TECNAVIA
Naples Residents’ Nonprofit Provides Eyeglasses to Impoverished Areas Worldwide
BY Alexandra Cavalier
April 24, 2025
Photo Credit: Liz Gorman; First Sight
Providing free eye exams and prescription glasses in as little as 10 minutes, First Sight transforms lives in Naples and underserved countries around the world.
Founded by Naples resident Nizar Mamdani, the ongoing initiative continues to expand its reach, helping thousands see more clearly, regardless of where they live or what they can afford.
Born in East Africa, Mamdani attended college in Japan before relocating to the U.S. a little more than 50 years ago. He and his late wife, Nancy, relocated for treatment at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, or UNMC, after his first wife was diagnosed with lymphoma.
While in Nebraska, Mamdani contacted the university’s chancellor to start the center’s first International Healthcare program. As the program’s executive director, Mandani brought hundreds of patients to Nebraska for medical care from 59 different countries. In order to accomplish this, Mamdani spent more than six months traveling and visiting 235 possible partner institutions across 78 countries, forming 124 collaborative partnerships in 45 countries.
After his wife passed away, Mamdani shifted his focus.
In August 2001, he set up the Mamdani Philanthropy Program – a program to provide the best available patient care training program and education to health care professionals in underserved countries. Mamdani continued to travel for this project. To train health care workers, he traveled with a UNMC team to many countries for conferences and conventions, including India and Thailand.
He met his second wife, Marsha, 20 years ago. With a doctorate in education, she frequently accompanied Mamdani on his trips, educating the students of the countries they visited.
“She would come back and say to me, ‘You know these kids are sitting in the back [of the classroom]. They’re not paying attention.’ She kept telling me all the time,” Mamdani said. “So, finally, we went and looked into what was causing this. We found out that the kids sitting in the back couldn’t see the blackboard.
The concept for First Sight was conceived by Mamdani after the couple returned to Nebraska. But it wasn’t until he retired and relocated to Naples a few years ago that he had the time to devote himself to the project.
“There are now 8 billion people in the world, and 1 billion people have uncorrected reflective errors. They need eyeglasses, but they don’t really have anywhere to go. If you go to remote areas in Africa, they have nowhere to go,” he said.
Before he founded the company, Mamdani wanted to address the World Health Organization’s six barriers to treat refractive errors in developing countries: accurate, reliable testing; lack of electricity; mobility; insufficient training of staff; cost effectiveness and sustainability for children.
“I wanted to make sure that we tick mark each one of these things before we start,” he said. “So, we did it. Our program is very low-tech. Everybody talks about high tech today. We wanted to go in the opposite direction because our people we are serving don’t have high-tech things.
UNMC helped Mamdani conduct a comprehensive clinical trial of First Sight eyeglasses and its processes in the U.S. Field trials were also conducted in Haiti. Professionals found that the First Sight prescription system was about 98% as accurate as high-technology systems used today.
The prescription system is a First Sight Kit that contains materials to outfit 100 people with eyeglasses. The kit includes:
-
220 lenses to fit the 100 included frames
-
Two nearsighted lens trees
-
One farsighted lens tree
-
Two tumbling nearsighted E-charts
-
One tumbling farsighted chart
It also includes an instruction trifold, a tape measure, an eye blocker and other helpful supplies. The kit weighs only 20 pounds.
There are 10 distinct lens strengths in the lens trees. A participant is positioned 20 feet from the tumbling E-chart. Using the eye blocker, the participant blocks one eye at a time and reads down the chart using the lens tree to find the perfect lens. The correct lens can then be snapped into the frame to create newly customized prescription glasses in under 10 minutes.
The service is free for patients.
First Sight has collaborated with health care and educational institutions to bring First Sight services to more than 30 countries.
David Kennedy is executive director of Mission and Ministry at AdventHealth Mid America. AdventHealth started working with First Sight on a mission trip to Peru in 2021.
“We just found incredible results,” Kennedy said. “We were able to restore sight for a lot of people or improve sight for a lot of people. We haven’t been on a trip since we haven’t used First Sight Kits.
Through its partnership with AdventHealth, First Sight now provides the kit on all of the company’s mission trips in 17 different countries.
First Sight is also making a local impact through the Naples Lions Club Foundation, where Mamdani serves as the current president.
Dr. Howard Freedman has been a member of the local organization for 25 years and is a retired pediatric ophthalmologist. He has helped develop the Naples Lions Club screening program, providing free eye and hearing screening and glasses to Collier County residents.
Residents used to receive recycled eyeglasses from the Naples Lions Club, but those might not be the right prescription. First Sight eliminates this problem.
Now, when people come to see us in the screening, and we determine the new glasses, if the glasses are asymmetric, we can provide the exact lens into the glasses or whatever it is that the patient needs,” Freedman said. “That is a tremendous addition to what we’re doing, so we can get people who come to us a pair of glasses that they can utilize that fit their needs.
First Sight has made a significant impact.
“If you see people when they get eyeglasses, it will melt your heart. It’s so rewarding to see how it changes their life,” Mamdani said. “We travel a lot every year, and we go to different places. These teams from Advent Hospital are all volunteers – many are nurses, many are doctors, and I hear stories. It’s the same story that I have experienced, and my wife, Marsha, has experienced time and again. It’s the joy. It’s changing of the life. That’s the greatest pleasure.”
This story was published in The Naples Press on April 18.
Copyright 2025 Gulfshore Life Media, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without prior written consent.
