LONDON, August 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Vision for a Nation (VFAN) has been shortlisted by the UK's Third Sector Excellence Awards for three prestigious awards: "Big Impact", "Small Charity, Big Achiever", and "Rising Chief Executive".

VFAN, one of over 180,000 charities registered in the UK, has been nominated for its unprecedented programme to provide all of Rwanda's 10.5 million people with access to local and affordable eye care. The nominations follow VFAN's recent win at the Civil Society Media Charity Awards, and an additional finalist nomination for a Charity Times Award, both in the category of "International Aid and Development".

Third Sector is a leading UK publication in the not-for-profit sector with a readership of 55,000. The Third Sector Excellence Awards recognise the achievements of charities, social enterprises and the companies that support them. The awards will be presented at a black-tie ceremony at the Lancaster London Hotel on 14 September.

Tom Rosewall, CEO of Vision for a Nation, comments: "We are extremely honoured to be recognised by such a prestigious organisation in three high-profile categories. This is testament to the scale and impact of our work. With our support, Rwanda - a nation that has emerged in less than a generation to become a model of development - has accomplished something in only three years that no other emerging nation has managed to achieve within the public health sector."

About Vision for a Nation 

VFAN is an award-winning British charity that is supporting Rwanda's Ministry of Health to build nationwide access to primary eye care services that are financially self-sustaining and permanently integrated into the country's universal health care system. It has trained nearly 2,000 general nurses, developed a national supply chain for glasses and medication, and launched an outreach programme that now extends the services to 100% of Rwanda's 15,000 communities. Nearly 600,000 Rwandans have already been screened.

VFAN plans to scale all or portions of its successful Rwanda model to other emerging nations in partnership with their health ministries and others in the eye care domain.

Venture philanthropist James Chen is the founder and visionary behind Vision for a Nation and Clearly, a global campaign with a mission to help the world see by 2034. The UK's Department for International Development (DFID) and UBS Optimus Foundation have both provided VFAN with major funding.

SOURCE Vision for a Nation Foundation