Like many in the development sector, Kris didn’t set out to work in philanthropy – he just sort of fell into it. He had been working at EssilorLuxottica, a producer of ophthalmic lenses and eyeglasses, when a chance meeting with the director of the company’s new philanthropic arm got him involved in charitable efforts. After a few years of running pilot projects, he found himself accepting a new position within the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation Canada.

“It just resonated with me, to have that level of impact on improving somebody’s life by being able to provide better vision,” he says.

Now, he is working to prevent blindness and restore sight across the globe.

Since joining Operation Eyesight, he’s helped lead us through our involvement in the passage of Bill C-284 in Canada, a project he’d already been engaged with in his previous role. The Bill will enact the establishment of a national strategy for eye care.

Kris points out that given our 60-year history of bringing eye care to remote, rural and underserved communities, we can speak credibly on how we might approach things here at home.

On a recent trip to see some of our projects in Ghana and Zambia, Kris reflected on the insights that Canadian policymakers can take from some of our countries of work.

“Canada’s behind, in a sense, in our recognition of vision health as a priority,” he says., “I think we can learn as a country from the other nations that have come before us in prioritizing vision care nationally.”

Learn more about Bill C-284.

The post Introducing Kris Kelm, Global Director of International Programs appeared first on Operation Eyesight.

When I travel to our countries of work and to the target villages, I see that eye health is about far more than sight. I have learnt that eye health is about children being able to learn, play at school and practice hygiene. It is about adults being able to work and run businesses, access clean water, herd animals, grow crops and care for children. It is about seniors who can meet their friends, travel and chase after their grandchildren. Eye health is about reaching everyone in a community, addressing all the avoidable vision loss issues and empowering the community to take care of their eye health themselves. Often, this is the impact of partnerships between organizations and governments, hospitals and communities with a shared vision to improve quality of life. Actually, health and partnerships are so important that they have been identified in the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations (UN) as necessary for a peaceful and prosperous world.  

This June, I am attending the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) global event, 2030 IN SIGHT LIVE in Mexico. (See above for a photo of my eye health peers and I at last year’s event.) As an elected IAPB board member and someone who has been leading health and eye health care programmes for more than 35 years, I will join hands with fellow experts and organizations in the eye health sector to apply our collective knowledge to address:   

1. What needs to be done to transform the vision of universal eye care into a global reality by 2030? 

2. What ground-breaking approaches will accelerate action and transform eye health? 

3. What steps can we take to embed conscious, inclusive and sustainable best practices across the eye health sector? 

4. What can we do to harness our strengths and diverse skills to increase momentum together to empower change? 

5. To address diverse needs and shape the future of eye health, how can we meet the rising demand and changing landscapes with strategic sustainable solutions? 

My experience has shown me that a key part of the answer to all these questions lies in the power of partnerships. By working together, we can build sustainable strategies that connect international agencies, national governments, hospitals, and health care workers, and extend right down into the communities and each person there.   

Partnerships at the strategic, implementational and program levels will ensure that multiple players can focus on their strengths – from sharing eye health care data with international agencies that set global goals, to working with national governments to include eye health in health care and education policies, to supporting hospitals and training health care workers who treat vision issues, to empowering communities to identify and address vision problems for everyone who lives there. Through partnerships, we stand together so we have more visibility. We have more influence and more funding. We have more technical expertise, and we have more community connections.  

Over more than 60 years, Operation Eyesight has developed a sustainable model of community empowerment. I take great pride in our flagship model, which is not only sustainable but also scalable. This model serves as evidence to the successful implementation of the World Health Organization’s five recommendations outlined in its World Report on Vision 2019: making eye care a part of universal health care, integrating people-centred eye care into health systems, promoting high-quality implementation and health systems research that compliments evidence for effective eye health care interventions, monitoring trends and evaluating progress for effective eye care interventions, and raising awareness, engaging and empowering people and communities about eye care needs. I attribute the success of this model to our dedicated partners and the communities we serve. 

When we partner with others, we become the bridge between health care services and communities. While many organizations work down to the hospital level, we start with the hospital and work down to the community level where we reach all those individuals who are in need of eye care. With the hospital, we identify a service area and build a local vision centre. Next, we train local community health care workers in the community. In our nine countries of work, our network of more than 2,500 community health care workers conduct door-to-door surveys, knocking on doors and identifying people with vision challenges. These workers then refer people to the vision centre for eye exams and prescription eyeglasses or treatment for eye diseases. Those with issues that require services beyond the vision centre, such as cataract, are referred to the local hospital for surgery. Once all avoidable vision loss cases are addressed, the community is declared avoidable blindness-free. The community can then sustain this as they now have ownership of their own eye health care.  

Time and time again we have seen this model work. We are publishing research on the results, investing in resources to replicate it, and harnessing partnerships to bring this model to new communities and new countries of work.  

In Mexico City, I plan to reconnect with current partners and meet new partners. I will learn from them about their perspectives on the five key questions IAPB is asking and share my views with them. Additionally, I will discuss what more Operation Eyesight can do to further strengthen our partnerships and chart a future course that allows us to collectively reach out to many more individuals and communities. I look forward to seeing so many global community members in Mexico City and to working together to answer the five IAPB questions. I believe that together, we have the power to transform eye health care – For All The World To See.    

Join our global community, partner with us and we will transform more lives together.

The post The Power of Partnerships: Seeing is Believing by Kashinath Bhoosnurmath appeared first on Operation Eyesight.

This new partnership reflects the growth of our global community. An organic connection exists between the teams and Operation Eyesight President and CEO, Kashinath Bhoosnurmath (who goes by Kash), as most members are part of the Indian diaspora community in Canada. While members have settled in Canada, built homes, careers and community, a part of their heart lies in India. “Many of us long to support those back in our Indian home,” Kash says. “We know many people are facing very difficult life challenges there that are different than the life challenges we face here in Canada.”  

One way to offer support is partnering with Operation Eyesight to work towards eliminating avoidable vision loss. This is not only about sight but also about learning for children and particularly girls, maintaining a livelihood for adults, and securing independence for seniors. Globally, more than 1.1 billion people are living with vision loss, and fortunately, 90 per cent of these cases are treatable or preventable. However, only a limited number of people are aware of this fact. Many, especially in middle- and low-income countries, are forced to live with blindness or some form of vision loss due to lack of access to affordable and quality eye care services. “This is a kind of global emergency,” says Kash. “If this issue is addressed, communities and countries will experience reduced burdens of poverty and disease, as well as increased levels of productivity and development. These factors are interlinked.” 

Operation Eyesight has developed a successful model that results in the elimination of avoidable vison loss. Our tested and evidence-based model is the foundation for our projects in 10 countries. “In India alone, we proudly boast over 1,300 villages that have been declared free of avoidable blindness on a sustainable basis. Our story needs to be known and told,” says Kash. An eye exam and a pair of prescription glasses, or a simple cataract surgery is often all that is needed to bring someone’s future back into focus. “Tested and often cost-effective solutions are available. What is needed is awareness, collective will, and support among those who can lend a hand.” 

The partnership between the boat teams and Operation Eyesight flows not only from shared values and vision, but also from the power of water, which is fundamental to the boat teams and to healthy eyes. While the two Kaavéri Xpress teams and the all-women Kaavéri Sherows Ottawa Dragon Boat teams will be paddling down the Rideau River on race day, two rivers will be in their hearts, as the teams are named after the sacred Kaveri River in southern India. Team captain Lokesh Siddaramanna explains, “Kaaveri connects us back to our roots, as it’s a lifeline for farming and drinking water for much of Southern India.” He adds that the name was chosen because it resonates deeply with people across the region, lifting their spirits and connecting with their hearts. 

There are many parallels between the dragon boat teams and the global community of Operation Eyesight. Boat teams must recruit committed members, train collaboratively and work in sync with one another to successfully compete against other teams. The global community of Operation Eyesight must recruit committed partners, train local health care workers and work collaboratively with partners, hospitals, governments and communities to eliminate avoidable vision loss. Everyone must keep their eyes on the finish line. How fast they finish the race really depends on how successfully they can work together.

During the festival, Kash and Myrna Linder, Operation Eyesight Director of Fund Development, will join a pre-race pep talk, cheer on the teams, and attend an evening dinner to connect with the members. They will also present on Operation Eyesight programs in India, South Asia and Africa. As the dragon boat teams race down the river, their support will speed Operation Eyesight along in the race to eliminate avoidable vision loss.  

“We are so grateful for the partnership between the Kaavéri Xpress and Kaavéri Sherows Ottawa Dragon Boat teams, and the connection to the Indian diaspora community,” Kash says. “This is really helping us to race not only into the next village of work, but also the next 10, 100 and 1,000 villages, so that one day, hopefully very soon, we can cross the finish line by eliminating avoidable vision loss entirely.” 

Support the Kaavéri Xpress and Kaavéri  Sherows Ottawa Dragon Boat teams by cheering them on and helping them race towards the finish line – and towards eliminating avoidable vision loss – by donating here. 

The post A paddling partnership that improves lives: Eyes on the finish line appeared first on Operation Eyesight.

“She was complaining that she could see smoke,” says Rose, who lives with her mother in Kakamega, located in western Kenya. “She would always say that she could see people far away but could not see people who were near.”

Rose brought Florence to Saboti Sub-County Hospital in Kitale and saw a surgical team from our partner, Kitale County Referral Hospital. Florence received sight-restoring cataract surgery, at no cost.

Reflecting on the difference the surgery made in her mother’s life, Rose sums up her gratitude with four simple words: “Thank you so much.”

When Rose brought her mother back to the hospital for her checkup, the doctors said she was doing well. Florence’s smile tells a story that words can’t express.

“Even I can see that she is smiling,” Rose says. “I thank God the operation was successful. I would like to thank the people of Operation Eyesight Universal for bringing free treatment that has helped me and my mother.”

Rose says she hopes we can continue to help others in her mom’s situation.

“When someone experiences vision loss, they often become closed off from the world. This is particularly true for seniors,” says Alice Mwangi, our Country Director for Kenya.

“Through the Gift of Sight, individuals are able to start new, happy chapters in their lives.”

Visit operationeyesight.com/GiftOfSight to help provide critical eye care services for more people like Florence. Thank you for your support!

The post Gift of Sight – the gift that keeps on giving appeared first on Operation Eyesight.