Glasses aren't just good for your eyes. They can be a boon to income, too

Reading glasses are easy to come by in Western countries. But getting a pair in the Global South can be a challenge. A new study shows the surprising benefits that a pair of specs can bring. (Maica/Getty Images)

Jasmin Atker calls her reading glasses her best friend – and a companion she does not take for granted. But her spectacles do something most best friends don't do: They help her make a lot more money.

Atker, 42, is a grandmother who lives in Manikganj, Bangladesh, on a small family farm. It started as a cattle farm producing milk. After she got glasses through the nonprofit groups VisionSpring and BRAC in 2022, Atker says, her improved vision enabled her to set up a vegetable patch. She even learned how to grow mushrooms. She now sells mushrooms as well as pumpkins, watermelon and spinach at the market. Atker estimates that her monthly income has jumped from 9,000 to 10,000 Bangladeshi taka to closer to 15,000 to 17,000 taka – the equivalent of about $150.