While the World Health Organisation and others address the problem on a global level, others do what they can – one pair of spectacles at a time.

Enter a man by the name of Bond – John Bond.

When his wife passed away in 1988, John kept her six pairs of glasses “for sentimental reasons.”

But after watching a television segment on the ‘recycling’ of old eyeglasses for use in disadvantaged communities, John packed up all six pairs and “sent them off to the Eye Hospital in Sydney.”

Glasses sent there get redistributed nationally and internationally.

“I got a nice letter back and thought – here’s an opportunity for me to do something.”

So he went to a few newspapers with his idea.

“I started getting spectacles from all over the country.”

That was twelve years ago, and John set himself the far-off target of 20,000 pairs of glasses.

John, who has just celebrated his eightieth birthday, grew up in Essex, England.

After serving in the Royal Air Force life was looking good. He was settled, content and ran a very successful electrical wholesale business.

Then his wife, Sheila, dropped the bombshell – what about a move to Australia?

The year was 1967. Sheila and John took the plunge and ended up in Nowra.

“I didn’t want to move in the beginning but I’ve got no regrets – not now.

“We were married thirty years, I’ve got three wonderful children and seven grandchildren.”

Now living in Milton as one of Sarah Cladon’s self-care residents, with his own apartment, John exudes a youthful enthusiasm.

The secret to his positive outlook?

“I’ve always lived a Christian life. I was a choirboy early on and I’ve got lot of friends in the church.

He doesn’t’ drink or smoke but admits the occasional cold beer goes down well.

“I’m also quite a music man, and here I’m very happy.”

When it comes to his vision for the vision cause, John says he is just going to keep going.

“Collecting all these glasses means I’m helping a lot of people which means a lot to me. I find it very rewarding.

“When I get a parcel, if there’s an address on it I write a thank-you letter. Then I often get a thank-you for the thank-you letter.”

John recently achieved his original goal of 20,000 pairs of glasses.

“It would be nice to get to twenty-five thousand, but I’ll just collect as many as I can.”

You can mail glasses for recycling to: John Bond, Sarah Claydon Nursing Home, Princes Hwy, Milton 3538. Alternatively drop them in the foyer under the sign that reads: ‘Put your old spectacles here’