An 18-year-old New Zealand university student says she's hoping sales of an organic mascara will help fund cataract surgery and restore people's eyesight in Pacific region.
Bonnie Howland's company Indigo has developed a product called Mascara for Sight which aims to restore vision using the one for one charity model. Photo: Supplied
Bonnie Howland says the mascara uses coconut oil from Samoa and she's hoping each mascara sold will finance one person's surgery through the Fred Hollows Foundation.
Ms Howland says she was inspired by a visit to Vanuatu where she witnessed the social cost of blindness on families.
"It's really a commercial solution to a social problem. The reason I thought of mascara is because it's just the essential beauty item for most women in New Zealand and it's such a feminine beautiful product and you're using on your eyes every day. And when you're looking into the mirror putting on your mascara, you realise how important sight is, and what a precious gift it is."
Bonnie Howland says her company Indigo and Iris has received support from the Live the Dream accelerator programme for young entrepreneurs.