Pala, it is an eyewear brand that always sticks in my mind. Why? I met the founder John back in 2016 and he is a lovely guy. Secondly, I really liked what the brand was all about. Pala help people in Africa who need glasses, therefore be able to work and earn a living. That is actually just one of the ways they help African communities. They have a lot of other projects they do to help too.
Admittedly, I have not been in constant contact with this brand because since 2016, I have had two children so I have been on maternity leave twice, everything that happened in between was a bit of a blur due to sleep deprivation, ha!
Pala Eyewear
Anyway, now, 4 years after the brand launched. Pala is hoping to raise $40,000 (£31,000) through Indiegogo to develop a new range of sustainable bio-acetate sunglasses, and to fund an outreach project in Ethiopia which will provide vital training and eye care to patients in disadvantaged areas.
To date, thousands of sight-impaired people have had their lives changed and been able to earn an income enhanced through the simple act of receiving a much-needed pair of spectacles. All this happens through Pala’s partnership with registered charity, Vision Aid Overseas.
Furthering each product’s unique story, Pala works alongside a Ghanaian-based NGO to support weaving communities from the remote Upper East region of the country to make their protective sunglasses cases. Woven using traditional methods utilising otherwise wasted plastic, the brand helps to provide a trade and an income, strengthening the future of these rural communities.
Pala Eyewear
Pala Eyewear
It really is a fantastic brand to support. Not just another brand that sells sunglasses, Pala was created because John really wanted to do something to help the African communities. In developed countries, we are fortunate to have access to all the health care we need. Owning a pair of glasses almost feels like a given to most people and we do forget that actually, if you need glasses but are unable to have access to them, it is a real problem. I for one cannot cope with daily life without my glasses. Check out their Indiegogo video here and find out more about Pala and how you can help.