Why Akhand Jyoti Exists
About Us
Akhand Jyoti, founded in 2005 as a unit of the Yugrishi Shriram Sharma Acharya Charitable Trust (YSSACT), is a women-led non-profit working to eliminate curable blindness from the face of Bihar and other underserved regions of India.
What began in a small rural village in Bihar in December 2005 has grown into one of Eastern India's most respected eye care institutions, providing world-class eye care services where it matters the most.
At the heart of Akhand Jyoti's mission are rural girls who, since 2009, have been trained and empowered to become qualified optometrists leading the Blindness Elimination programme and driving social change.
Through their hands and hearts, more than 1 million people have had their sight restored, 80% of them free of cost, and millions more have been screened for eye health problems.
Today, Akhand Jyoti is pioneering the creation of the world's largest standalone eye care ecosystem, offering world-class cataract, glaucoma, retinal, paediatric, and refractive services.
Our Work Stands on Three Core Pillars
A connected approach to SIGHT, ACCESS, and SOCIAL CHANGE.
Workingattheintersectionofpoverty,blindness,andgenderdisparity,westrivetobreakthecyclethatholdsmillionsbackbyrestoringsight,expandingopportunity,andensuringthatwomenareattheforefrontofthischange.
Our Mission & Vision
Empowering WOMEN to lead the ELIMINATION of curable blindness.
Mission
To transform society through a unique model of empowerment that turns rural women into social change agents through education and optometry training, and eliminates curable blindness by making world-class eye care affordable and accessible to low-income areas.
Vision
To eliminate gender bias and curable blindness by empowering women to lead the change towards creating a blind-free Bihar.