Gabriel Kwaku Agbeshie, a passionate 2025 Aspire Leaders Program alumnus and moderator from Ghana, channels his own childhood struggles with vision into a powerful mission: identifying visual impairments in underserved schoolchildren early so they can receive the eye care needed to succeed in school and life. Through iScreen4Kids, an initiative he developed with the help of Aspire’s Seed Fund grant, Agbeshie delivers essential eye screenings, education, and support to children, helping them overcome vision barriers before they become lifelong obstacles.
The Early Impact of Impaired Vision
Throughout his childhood and adolescence, Agbeshie lived with undiagnosed myopia. Eye care for children was not commonplace, and those around him believed the vision issues he suffered from would resolve over time.
In school, he faced some teasing from his peers for the way he held books and moved closer to the blackboards just to see what was written. These challenges affected his academic performance and confidence — especially when he had to repeat a year due to his struggle to see well — but they also shaped his purpose. His parents, despite not having pursued higher education themselves, pushed him to excel.
“Knowing my parents did not pursue grad school was a motivation,” he said. “My dad really understood what it means to pursue education, [and] he was always there for me, pushing me to do my best.”
It wasn’t until his first year at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) that he had his vision checked for the first time:
“I told them about my complaint, ‘I can’t really see you.’ That was [the] first time in my life having my vision checked. I was told I am short-sighted and would need glasses.”
That moment changed the direction of his life, and later, the lives of many children.
Transforming Struggle into a Path Forward
Agbeshie was diagnosed with myopia, a vision condition where distant objects appear blurry, and was finally able to receive the necessary eye care. After so many years, he had an answer as to why experienced the world differently and what his needs were. He recognized that there were still children in his community experiencing what he once did — quietly struggling, being misunderstood, and falling behind academically due to untreated vision problems.
I could channel my problem [into] helping those from underserved communities like myself.
Determined to help, Agbeshie transformed his lifelong challenges into purpose, pursuing a Doctor of Optometry degree and becoming an optometrist. While working in the Department of Optometry and Visual Science at his university, he began exploring ways to support these children.
“I was happy I was pursuing such a program because I could channel my problem [into] helping those from underserved communities like myself,” he said.
A school-based eye-screening initiative started to take shape in his mind, though bringing it to life remained a significant challenge.
Opportunity through Aspire
Agbeshie discovered the Aspire Leaders Program in 2025 and, intrigued by the opportunity, decided to join. After completing the program, he learned about Aspire’s Seed Fund grant, a financial award given to those looking to launch their own social impact initiatives, and he knew this could be his chance to make a difference.
“It came to mind that, look, you can do this. I already had the framework [of] what I wanted to do for schoolchildren, but manifesting it without support was a challenge,” he said. “Thankfully, Aspire helped me carry out this project.”
Agbeshie drafted a project proposal, structuring the framework he’d long envisioned and refining his ideas into a concrete community initiative. Soon after, he was thrilled to receive the news that he had been selected as a winner and would receive funding for his initiative.
Aspire helped me realize the type of leader I want to be.
As his project came to life, Agbeshie also chose to deepen his engagement with the Aspire community by serving as a volunteer community moderator and Discord channel leader. These roles not only allowed him to give back but also helped him recognize and strengthen his own leadership abilities.
“Aspire helped me realize the type of leader I want to be,” he said. “Serving as a community moderator and then a channel lead helped me grow [and] understand how to work with people across time zones and backgrounds.”
Protecting Children’s Vision and Their Futures
With funding from Aspire’s Seed Fund grant, Agbeshie founded iScreen4Kids, a comprehensive eye-screening initiative that identifies vision issues early so children can succeed in school and in life.
“The iScreen4Kids project supports school children, particularly assessing their vision, detecting eye problems, and helping them with eyeglasses and necessary examinations,” Agbeshie said.
The project focuses on addressing distance and near-vision testing, binocular vision and eye-movement assessments, tests for misalignments, and screenings that ultimately identify abnormalities in children’s eyes so they can be referred to a specialist or be prescribed free eyeglasses provided by iScreen4Kids.
iScreen4Kids also focuses on preventing future health problems by educating children and families about common eye conditions and symptoms, empowering them to recognize issues early and seek the help they need.
“We speak to them, we educate them [about] when they see symptoms like redness or tearing,” he said. “They shouldn’t ignore them [and] must visit the nearest eye clinic.”
This initiative doesn’t just benefit schoolchildren, it also creates hands-on learning opportunities for undergraduate optometry students through volunteering. While they gain experience in field work and eye screening, they are also able to give back to those in their community.
Schools, public or private, are screened regardless of category or location. At its core, iScreen4Kids aims to prevent blindness, remove academic barriers, and empower young learners through awareness and early intervention.
A Holistic Approach
Currently, Agbeshie works as a research assistant in the optometry department of his university. He is looking to apply for a job, but in the meantime, he is happy to assist students with their clinical practices.
When asked about the future of iScreen4Kids, Agbeshie is hopeful and ambitious, emphasizing the growth and national impact of the project.
“I want to collaborate with the general medical school so we can assess body mass index, blood sugar, and holistically assess the health of these students,” he said.
He sees iScreen4Kids evolving into a comprehensive school-based health screening initiative, recognizing that many eye problems are linked to systemic conditions not directly related to the eyes.
Agbeshie has also set a goal to build partnerships and secure donations in order to provide more glasses and expand screenings across Ghana.
“iScreen4Kids is always looking for people [that] can come out and then support us in helping distribute these eyeglasses for these students,” he said. “That is one of our priorities.”
Agbeshie hopes that his initiative becomes a legacy with the help of his volunteers. He wants iScreen4Kids to be a self-sustaining initiative that is kept alive by those willing to give back to the community and continues its impact for generations to come.
Message to Emerging Leaders
Agbeshie encourages young leaders to honor their backgrounds, lean on community, and use connection as a catalyst for impact.
“If you really know what you want to do in this life, or if you don’t know, always be focused on networking, because in one way or the other, this is something that can shape your path,” he said. “People have been there before, people are always ahead of you, and these same people can hold your hand to get to wherever you want to get to. Make networking a priority, an aspect of your life no matter the race, your background, [or] the differences that you have. Networking is the key.”
If you’re interested in partnering with iScreen4Kids and supporting Agbeshie’s mission, you can contact the organization using the methods below.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iscreen4kids
Email: info@iscreen4kids.com
