Jennifer Chen and the Vision for a World Where Everyone Can See
The Chen Yet-Sen Family Foundation’s early investments in community-based vision programs and high-level advocacy helped spark a global shift in how preventable blindness is addressed. Through initiatives like Vision for a Nation and the Clearly campaign, the Foundation demonstrated what was possible, from nationwide primary eye care in Rwanda to securing a UN resolution on vision for all. Their data-driven approach and insistence on country ownership helped inspire the IAPB’s transformation and the launch of its bold “2030 In Sight” strategy, a global call to integrate vision into universal health coverage and ensure that no one is left behind.
KTG Co-Founder, Megan Webber, recently had the chance to speak with Chen Yet-Sen’s Chief Executive to learn more about her role to help shape a legacy that now spans continents, connects ministries of health and education, and transforms lives through something as simple but as powerful as a pair of glasses.
Despite sharing a last name, Jennifer is not related to the Foundation’s namesake, Chen Yet-Sen. Instead, her involvement grew out of a longtime friendship with James Chen, the Foundation’s Chair and son of Yet-Sen. When James asked Jennifer to help shape and direct the family’s philanthropic goals, he knew he was tapping into a force of strategy and compassion. Jennifer had already established a foundation in honor of her late husband, supporting research and treatment for glioblastoma. She brought with her not just empathy, but the financial acumen of a former banker and the focus of someone determined to ensure that giving comes with a plan.
“When you’re a giver and a funder without strategic purpose, it gets really messy,” she said, reflecting on her early role in helping structure the Foundation’s mission and operations. That structure laid the groundwork for what would become some of the most influential vision programs in the world.
One of the Foundation’s most groundbreaking initiatives was Vision for a Nation, which launched in Rwanda with the audacious goal of bringing primary eye care to every citizen. Over five years, the program trained general nurses, many of whom had no ophthalmologic background, to screen for eye diseases, dispense basic eye drops, and refer patients for glasses or surgery when needed. The results were remarkable as the majority of vision impairments were treated with something as simple as eye drops or a pair of spectacles.
The model was designed to be handed back to the Rwandan government, and it was. Rwanda now fully owns and operates its national eye care system. Jennifer calls this “exit strategy” a crucial part of the Foundation’s approach: invest, implement, prove, and then transfer. The same thinking led to Vision for a Nation merging into the larger NGO Vision Action, allowing the model to continue expanding in other countries, including Ghana.
But success didn’t come without roadblocks. Attempts to replicate Rwanda’s achievements in other nations faced challenges, everything from corruption to inadequate health infrastructure. “You realize you have this elegant model that works, but only when the conditions are right,” Jennifer explained.
Rather than closing any doors, Jennifer and her team pivoted. The Foundation began focusing more on policy and advocacy targeting what she calls the “top of the pyramid.” That shift led to the launch of Clearly, a campaign designed to raise global awareness about uncorrected refractive error, the leading cause of preventable vision loss. Clearly helped bring vision care into the spotlight at international summits and the UN, influencing the 2021 UN Resolution committing all 193 member states to deliver “vision for everyone” by 2030.
Clearly’s data-driven advocacy was crucial. The campaign brought together randomized controlled trials, peer-reviewed evidence, and a singular, globally recognized message: over one billion people need only a simple pair of glasses. That statistic, agreed upon by the World Health Organization, the UN, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, became the backbone of a shared global narrative.
And it worked. Through Clearly, Jennifer and her team catalyzed the creation of the Friends of Vision group at the UN, supported the IAPB’s global strategy, and seeded summits where health and education ministers committed to real change. “Policy is what’s important,” Jennifer emphasized. “Getting a champion in-country is what’s important.”
Today, the Chen Yet-Sen Family Foundation funds randomized control trials, supports advocacy initiatives, and strengthens the global eye health movement through its ongoing partnership with the IAPB. Jennifer sees their role as catalytic: “We love to seed opportunities and watch them fly. But we don’t want to be the only funder forever.”
That vision is extending to future summits as well. The Foundation is helping support a Global Vision Summit in Antigua, timed to coincide with the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in 2026. For Jennifer, that meeting symbolizes full-circle momentum from Rwanda to Rwanda’s handoff and from implementation to global policy. “It’s a movement now,” she said. “And we’re just proud to be a part of it.”
Jennifer’s humility doesn’t obscure the extraordinary reach of her work. Whether it’s standing beside ambassadors at the UN, helping nurses deliver care in the field, or mentoring future leaders in vision advocacy, she brings a clarity of purpose that reflects the very cause she champions. Clear sight for all, from the youngest children to the oldest citizens, in every corner of the world.
As she puts it: “It’s the speed of change—and the lasting change—that we need.”
