By Dhwani Pathak

Inspired by a family story of blindness, 17-year-old Ava Jazayeri is turning compassion into action, one pair of glasses at a time.

At an age when most students are focused on exams and weekend plans, Ava Jazayeri is quietly reshaping how the community thinks about sight.

The Burgmann Anglican School year 12 student has launched a glasses drive, collecting more than 250 pairs of prescription spectacles for reuse in developing countries. 

For Ava, the project is not about numbers. It is about something far more personal.

Her inspiration comes from her great grandmother. 

“It was when I heard the story that she lost her sight as a teenager due to trachoma after missing out on timely medical care. It could have been prevented. 

“Despite the challenges of blindness, she raised four children and lived to the age of 95.

“That story really stayed with me; it made me realise how different someone’s life can be depending on whether they have access to something as simple as eye care.”

It is a realisation that has shaped years of quiet advocacy.

In 2020, when she was in Year 6, Ava designed a multi-sensory greeting card for people with vision impairment, an attempt to make everyday experiences more inclusive. While it was a school assignment, it initiated her journey into “doing something” for the differently abled. 

More recently, her involvement with the Lions Club of Canberra helped turn that interest into action. Volunteering in junior school eye-screening programs exposed her to the practical side of vision care and the gaps that still exist.

“It made me want to do more than just help on the day,” she says. “I wanted to create something that could keep giving.”

That idea became her Recycle for Sight campaign.

Launched within Burgmann Anglican School, the initiative encouraged students, staff and families to donate unused prescription glasses. With strong support from the school community, Ava promoted the drive through assemblies, posters and daily announcements, building momentum across all three sub-schools. 

“It was really a whole-school effort,” she says. “Once people understood where the glasses were going, they were very willing to contribute.”

The response exceeded expectations. 

“I’m very lucky and blessed to be surrounded by a lot of wonderful people in my community and thankfully I didn’t have any negative experiences when I was raising awareness or asking for donations,” says Ava. 

More than 250 pairs have already been collected. These glasses will be refurbished and distributed to people in developing regions. 

Ava is quick to emphasise that the impact extends beyond the act of donation.

“It is also about awareness,” she says. “A lot of people do not realise how big the issue is globally. Something we take for granted can completely change someone else’s life.”

That awareness is now spreading beyond the school gates.

Ava has begun reaching out to community centres, churches, optometry clinics and recycling hubs across Canberra, working to establish permanent collection points and expand the program’s reach. Her goal is to make donating glasses a simple, everyday habit.

“It is about making it easy for people to help,” she says.

So what would she say to other students who want to act on something they care about?

“Don’t wait until you have everything figured out,” Ava says. 

“Don’t think that you need clarity or a full plan, or just overthink it. I think most people overlook the fact that community projects begin with a simple idea, and that you don’t have to change the world overnight.”

“You just start small. And then you build from there.”

In the coming weeks, Ava will host a formal handover event at her school, bringing together Lions representatives and community supporters to mark the next stage of the project. 

For Ava, this is not a one off initiative.

“It is something I want to keep growing,” she says.

“I’ve noticed how much people, or society generally, can take vision for granted, yet it’s something we rely on every day without really thinking about it.

“Every time I see glasses, they mean something different to me.

“For lots of people they’re just sitting unused in a drawer, maybe their prescription has changed or their style has changed. But for someone without access to eye care, they can be transformative and really effective.”

And when she thinks of the woman who inspired it all, the impact feels even more personal.

“I hope she would feel proud,” Ava says. “Her story began with a lack of access to eye care, but I hope this project helps to rewrite the story for someone else.”

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