DORRICE’S GROWTH STORY
When an Eye Test Changes Everything
For Dorrice Ongaya, an eye examination is never just about measuring vision. It is often the moment a child reads a blackboard clearly for the first time, a grandmother sees the faces of her grandchildren, or a flower farm worker realises they won’t lose the job that supports their family.
Mamy Eyewear, the Kenyan fashion eyewear brand known for offering stylish, high-quality eyewear at an affordable direct-to-consumer price of KSh 1,900, had built a loyal customer base by challenging the traditional optics industry. By designing its own frames and eliminating intermediaries, Mamy proved that premium eyewear and eye examinations could be both fashionable and accessible.
Dorrice joined Mamy Eyewear two years ago as an optometrist. Today, she serves as Retail Manager, leading the company’s retail operations while overseeing some of its most impactful community outreach programmes. Her journey mirrors Mamy Eyewear’s own philosophy of investing in people. What began as a clinical role quickly evolved as the company’s leadership recognised her strategic thinking and her commitment to improving customer experience. Whether recommending new store locations, shaping retail strategy or mentoring staff, her voice has been trusted and valued.
Today, Dorrice leads initiatives that are redefining access to eye care across Kenya, particularly for communities where specialised services are often out of reach.
As an optometrist and Retail Manager, I don’t see eye care as purely business. I see it as a vital part of community health. Every person deserves the chance to see clearly because vision changes everything.
As an optometrist and Retail Manager, I don’t see eye care as purely business. I see it as a vital part of community health. Every person deserves the chance to see clearly because vision changes everything.
Dorrice Ongaya, Retail Manager, Mamy Eyewear
THE SCHOOL’S VISION
Giving Children the Chance to See Their Future
Across Kenya, approximately six million people lack access to essential eye care, while only around 600 optometrists serve a population of nearly 59 million. For many children, an eye examination simply isn’t available until vision problems have already affected their education.
6 million
Kenyans without access to essential eye care.
600
Optometrists serving a population of nearly 59 million.
Dorrice refused to accept that reality. Working with Mamy Eyewear’s Schools Vision Programme, she travels to schools across Nairobi, Narok, Naivasha and other parts of Kenya, bringing AI-powered eye examinations directly into classrooms.
Working closely with teachers and school administrators, the team screens children in just 10 to 12 minutes without disrupting lessons. Using AI technology with more than 99% accuracy, Mamy identifies vision problems early and works with insurers and corporate partners to provide free or subsidised prescription glasses to learners who need them.
25,000+
Eye examinations completed through the Schools Vision Programme to date.
The findings have been striking. In one illustrative school, every one of the 458 learners screened had never received an eye examination before, while 33.4% required corrective glasses.
Behind every statistic are children with life-changing stories. Dorrice recalls meeting a Grade 3 learner whose teachers believed she struggled because she could not concentrate.
She was almost in tears during the examination. When we tested her, we discovered she had severe short-sightedness. She simply couldn’t see the blackboard.
Dorrice Ongaya, Retail Manager, Mamy Eyewear
Within hours, Mamy prepared her glasses and delivered them to the school. For Dorrice, every child who receives glasses gains more than clearer vision. They gain confidence, dignity and a fair opportunity to learn.
THE ROSE FARM VISION INITIATIVE
Protecting the Women Who Keep Kenya’s Flower Industry Blooming
Dorrice also leads Mamy Eyewear’s Rose Farm Vision Initiative, bringing eye care directly to Kenya’s floriculture sector. The industry contributes more than US$1 billion annually to the Kenyan economy and employs approximately 150,000 workers, nearly 90% of whom are women. Yet many workers spend years sorting and grading flowers without ever having their eyesight tested.
Through free on-site AI screenings and employer-supported access to corrective glasses, Dorrice is helping workers remain productive while protecting their livelihoods. During one illustrative screening, 97% of workers had never previously undergone an eye examination, while 59.2% required corrective reading glasses.
97%
Of flower farm workers screened had never had an eye examination before.
59.2%
Needed corrective reading glasses to keep doing their work safely.
One woman in particular has stayed with her. Repeated quality-control errors had left her facing disciplinary action, and she feared she would soon lose the job that supported her family. An eye examination gave Dorrice the answer: uncorrected astigmatism and presbyopia, both of them correctable. With the support of her employer and Mamy Eyewear, she received the glasses she needed.
It is moments like these that reinforce Dorrice’s belief that accessible eye care is an investment in people, families and communities.
More Than Glasses
The impact of Dorrice’s work often extends beyond schools and flower farms. Community members frequently visit Mamy’s outreach clinics after hearing about the screenings, many seeking eye care for the first time.
She remembers meeting a grandmother in her seventies who had lived with severely impaired vision for years because she could not afford customised lenses.
When she tried on her glasses, she smiled and said she could finally see the faces of her grandchildren clearly. That moment reminded me that we don’t just restore vision. We restore life’s precious moments.
Dorrice Ongaya, Retail Manager, Mamy Eyewear
INVESTING IN PEOPLE
Building Opportunity Through Empowerment
Dorrice believes the impact she creates is possible because Mamy Eyewear has invested in her own development as much as it invests in its communities. The company actively supports learning, leadership development and women’s advancement, with women making up the vast majority of its workforce.
As Mamy Eyewear continues to expand across Kenya, Dorrice remains at the heart of its mission, bringing together innovation, compassionate healthcare and community leadership. Her story is a reminder that meaningful business transformation shows up in the lives changed along the way, as much as in new stores or stronger revenues.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Building a Stronger Business to Deliver Greater Impact
Behind Dorrice’s story lies another transformation, that of Mamy Eyewear itself.
Not long ago, the company faced an uncertain future. With fewer than three months of financial runway, only three retail stores, no clear growth strategy and operations still below breakeven, the business needed more than investment capital. It needed the systems, strategy and operational discipline to scale sustainably.
Through the Mastercard Foundation Africa Growth Fund’s Business Development Support (BDS) programme, delivered by Entrepreneurial Solutions Partners, Mamy received tailored technical assistance that strengthened the business from within. Together, the team developed a compelling investment narrative, validated a data-driven retail expansion strategy, and introduced an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system that significantly improved operational efficiency, financial visibility and decision-making.
The impact was transformative. By the fourth quarter of 2025, Mamy had opened two additional stores, both reaching breakeven within two weeks. The expansion created new jobs, improved profitability across all locations and positioned the business for long-term growth. In January 2026, Mamy secured investment from Ikemori Venture Support, providing further momentum towards its ambitious expansion plans.
What Comes Next
Today, Dorrice’s story is inseparable from Mamy Eyewear’s own journey. The stronger the business has become, the more communities it has been able to reach. Through the Fund’s BDS programme, Mamy has moved past survival and is now equipped to scale its impact, bringing quality eye care to thousands more children, workers and families across Kenya.
It is a powerful reminder that when businesses are strengthened through strategic technical assistance, they do more than grow revenues. They create dignified jobs, expand access to essential services and transform lives, one person at a time.
For Dorrice, every pair of glasses represents a new beginning: a child discovering their potential, a worker protecting their livelihood, a grandmother reconnecting with her family, and a future brought into sharper focus.
This story is part of the Africa Growth Stories series, highlighting the impact of the Mastercard Foundation Africa Growth Fund on young people across Africa.
