Our track record

Phase I

  • Seeing is Believing is born
  • Staff set out to raise money for 28,000 sight restorations

Seeing is Believing launches in 2003 as a staff initiative to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Standard Chartered Bank.
It aims to raise money to fund 28,000 sight restorations.

Seeing is Believing smashes this target - as staff raise more than US$ 1.6 million to fund 56,000 sight restorations.

Phase II

  • US$ 6 million raised
  • Contributions to 1 million sight restorations

Following the initial fundraising success of 2003, a new target is set to reach 1 million people.

A US$ 6 million programme is mapped out with Sightsavers International.

The Bank commits to match all donations up to the US$ 6 million target.

12 projects are implemented over 10 countries. This includes funding cataract operations and building the capacity of medical staff to improve the quality and efficiency of their services. Eye surgeons are trained in a new form of cataract surgery called small incision surgery which is quicker and simpler and as a result, significantly increases surgical rates.

The fundraising target is hit a year early in 2006.

Phase II is completed on World Sight Day of 2007.

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Phase III

  • US$ 10 million raised
  • 10 million people reached

Phase III is launched in 2006 following the success of Phase II’s fundraising.

A new fundraising target of US$ 10 million is set with the Bank committing to match up to US$ 5 million.

Seeing is Believing expands to include projects addressing prevention as well as cure of blindness and aims to reach 10 million people across 20 countries.

International Agency for Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) -  a membership organisation with ties to all leading eye care NGOs - becomes the lead-partner with Standard Chartered Bank in Seeing is Believing.

Phase III fundraising is completed on World Sight Day of 2007, just one year after launch. Its projects are all underway and are due to complete in 2010.

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Phase IV - A new vision

  • US$ 20 million fundraising target
  • Eye care services for 20 million people

A New Vision is launched on World Sight Day of 2008. The initiative aims to raise US$ 20 million by 2014 with Standard Chartered Bank committing to match up to US$ 10 million in matching funds. The project aims to provide comprehensive and sustainable eye care services for 20 million people in the underprivileged areas of 20 cities across the globe. These will ensure poor populations in areas of high need have access to permanent eye care services offering basic treatment and glasses to surgery and specialist care.

Standard Chartered is awarded IAPB’s highest honour to organisations, the global partnership award. Seeing is Believing becomes the largest donor to the global campaign `VISION 2020: The Right to Sight’ through IAPB.

Phase IV is currently underway, with projects being developed and work towards achieving Seeing is Believing’s fundraising targets.

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