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Many of you may be interested in volunteering during Winter, Spring, and Summer vacations.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES IN AFRICA AND ASIA
What Do Volunteers Do?: Unite For Sights volunteers range from undergraduate and medical students, educators, nurses, and public health professionals to optometrists and ophthalmologists. The volunteers serve as interns at eye clinics in Africa and Asia. The eye clinics eye doctors and Unite For Sight volunteers jointly participate on community-based screening programs. The clinics eye doctors diagnose and treat eye disease in the field, and surgical patients are brought to the eye clinic for surgery. Unite For Sight funds the surgeries for those patients unable to afford eye care.
How Do I Get More Information and Apply? The application as well as complete details about Unite For Sight's international opportunities are available online: http://www.uniteforsight.org/intl_volunteer/
When Are Programs Available? Unite For Sight operates its programs year-round. Volunteers may participate for 10-day periods up to 1-year or more. All program dates and locations are listed online http://www.uniteforsight.org/intl_volunteer/ Unite For Sight is currently accepting applications for December '06 through next Fall '07.
What Do Volunteers Say?: "This experience literally changed my life. It was one of the most amazing and rewarding experiences I have ever had. If given the chance, I would do it all over again and for longer (maybe this experience is to be continued ..). I learned so much about Ghana and myself. I learned that I would seriously like to consider optometry, especially so that I could come back to places like Ghana and help develop the eye care system (which lacks enough support). I am actually continuing my work as an officer in the Unite for Sight Chapter on campus. I will never forget this trip! You have no idea how much this memory means to me and what it has inspired me to do and be!"--Hafeezah Omar, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Student, Unite For Sight Volunteer in Accra, Ghana
"If I could sum up my volunteer experience in Chennai in one word I would say amazing. It was without a doubt one of the most incredible and rewarding experiences I have ever had, and is probably the only thing I have done in my life that has made a real difference to the lives of hundreds of people.
In Chennai, I was working with a fantastic team of optometrists, clinic managers and doctors from the Uma Eye Clinic, as well as 7 other very committed Unite for Sight volunteers. On camp days, the clinic bus would take the volunteers to a rural village or school where we would set up the screening facilities for that days camp. We managed to screen over a hundred people per camp, providing many of them with glasses. We would often find people in the village with such severe cataracts that their world must have been nothing more than a blur. These patients would be brought to the Hande Hospital where they would be operated on by the clinic doctors. A week later we would visit the patients in their villages to check how they were doing. The reception we received from the villagers was amazing- a crowd of people would start following the bus from the moment we entered the village and by the time we reached the village hall the entire village would be gathered outside!
I saw more eye pathology in 3 weeks in Chennai than I would ever have seen in the UK. But the thing that struck me most was that these were preventable and curable causes of blindness, and through something as simple as a pair of glasses or a 20 minute cataract operation we could give someone the gift of sight.
I will never forget my time in India. There are so many memories. The excitement on the faces of the school children when they saw their picture on our digital cameras for the first time; the smile on the villagers faces when they put on a pair of glasses and saw clearly for the first time in years; the lasting friendships I made with the other volunteers through sharing such an incredible experience; the hospitality and gratitude of the villagers. It was a privilege to volunteer in India!"--Naz Qureshi, Medical Student, St. Bartholomew's and the Royal London School of Medicine, Queen Mary, University of London, Unite For Sight Volunteer in Chennai, India
"My experience volunteering in Tamale this summer was both inspiring and rewarding. Dr. Wanye and the ophthalmic nurses that I worked with were incredible individuals who were dedicated to helping the people in their region. The other volunteers in my group were great teammates, and together we were able to make a difference in the lives of hundreds of individuals. The Ghanaian people that we worked with in the villages and the clinic were kind and gracious and openly welcomed us into their lives. Personally, it was one of the best experiences of my life, and I am thankful that I was able to do something that really made a difference. Unite for Sight gives you the opportunity to help fund and support dozens of surgeries that restore vision to hundreds of people every year. During the two months that I was in Tamale, I learned the benefits of volunteer work, and I was inspired by the acts of kindness that I witnessed. Now more then ever, I realize the difference that the gift of sight can make in the life of another."--Joseph Bergsten, University of New Mexico Student, Unite For Sight Volunteer in Tamale, Ghana
"When I went to India this past summer, I had a life changing experience with Unite For Sight.
Our days were carefully planned by Uma Eye Clinic. Our hotel was about 10 minutes from the clinic, and we were picked up by the van that was provided by Unite For Sight at about 8:30 am on the morning of the camps. The camps were mostly in villages about 1-3 hours away from the Chennai area, and seemed like an entirely different world from Chennai city. As we drove down the narrow road, we were greeted by a crowd of people at the entrance of each village, eagerly awaiting our arrival. We started our camps at around 10:00 am. On most occasions, there wouldn't be electricity in the villages, so the ophthalmologists were unable to use their advanced equipment, and had to use flashlights to diagnose cataracts and other eye diseases. The volunteers and optometrists worked like an assembly line. First, the patients would register with the Uma Eye Clinic representative, and then receive their medical diagnosis from the optometrists and ophthalmologist. After they were given their prescription, we volunteers were responsible for fitting them with the right prescription glasses. It was an amazing experience to see the reactions of the patients who were able to escape their hazy vision and see with clarity for the first time. Their look of gratitude will forever be etched in my mind. Four days a week, we traveled to villages, orphanages, schools and nursing homes and would screen about 100 people daily and fit them with eyeglasses that we had collected diligently over the last year.
My learning experiences with Unite For Sight and Uma Eye Clinic are priceless. I don't think I would have had the opportunity anywhere else to perform phacoemulsification on a goat's eye, or to work with eye doctors to examine patients for cataracts and refractive complications. I came home with experiences that even medical students dream about. Uma Eye Clinic provided the finest teachers and doctors that enhanced my knowledge about ophthalmology. After each eye camp, about 5 patients would travel back with us in the van for cataract surgery. We the interns were able to participate in every step of the patient's journey-the screening process, patient histories, preparation for the surgery that included a myriad of clinical tests and a thorough analysis of the eyes, the surgery process, and finally watching the patient's reaction as he or she regained their vision.
I feel that I have grown tremendously over this past summer, not only in the knowledge that I acquired from the physicians at Uma Eye Clinic, but my interactions with people in the villages and children in the schools. I am deeply indebted to Unite for Sight for giving me this opportunity to volunteer and learn about international medicine and health care."--Prachi Mayenkar, University of Missouri-Columbia BA/MD Candidate, Unite for Sight Volunteer in Chennai, India
What Do Eye Clinics Say?: "I must say that Unite for Sight volunteers have come to give hope to the people of Tamale and Northern Region, and all of us appreciate the wonderful work these volunteers are doing for these poor and vulnerable people who otherwise would not have access to quality eye care services.
God bless you for your good works, and we hope you would continue to offer your services even more as we struggle with the almost nonexistent resources both human and material in an attempt to give the poor people of Northern Region the Right to Sight. We need you more than ever to be able to achieve the VISION 2020 goal of the Right to Sight for all by the year 2020."--Dr. Seth Wanye, Ophthalmologist, Eye Clinic of Tamale Teaching Hospital, Tamale, Ghana
"So many people tell me to thank you and your family each day for the help you have given by giving sight to the poor. Our desire to serve and poor patients desire to see would not have been possible without the help and support of Unite For Sight." --Dr. Ajit Sinha, Director, A.B. Eye Institute; President, All India Ophthalmological Society
"It is a great pleasure to work with Unite For Sight in Ghana to achieve the goals of Vision2020, the Right to Sight global initiative launched by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB). Unite For Sight's high quality programs are very very useful and greatly valued in Ghana. Unite For Sight has touched the lives of so many people in Ghana and reduced the suffering of mankind. The question I have always asked myself is 'what would have happened to all these people who have benefited from Unite For Sight programs had the organization not come to their aid?' It is likely that many would have perished in their agony." --Dr. James Clarke, Ophthalmologist and Medical Director, Crystal Eye Clinic, Ghana
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES IN AFRICA AND ASIA
What Do Volunteers Do?: Unite For Sights volunteers range from undergraduate and medical students, educators, nurses, and public health professionals to optometrists and ophthalmologists. The volunteers serve as interns at eye clinics in Africa and Asia. The eye clinics eye doctors and Unite For Sight volunteers jointly participate on community-based screening programs. The clinics eye doctors diagnose and treat eye disease in the field, and surgical patients are brought to the eye clinic for surgery. Unite For Sight funds the surgeries for those patients unable to afford eye care.
How Do I Get More Information and Apply? The application as well as complete details about Unite For Sight's international opportunities are available online: http://www.uniteforsight.org/intl_volunteer/
When Are Programs Available? Unite For Sight operates its programs year-round. Volunteers may participate for 10-day periods up to 1-year or more. All program dates and locations are listed online http://www.uniteforsight.org/intl_volunteer/ Unite For Sight is currently accepting applications for December '06 through next Fall '07.
What Do Volunteers Say?: "This experience literally changed my life. It was one of the most amazing and rewarding experiences I have ever had. If given the chance, I would do it all over again and for longer (maybe this experience is to be continued ..). I learned so much about Ghana and myself. I learned that I would seriously like to consider optometry, especially so that I could come back to places like Ghana and help develop the eye care system (which lacks enough support). I am actually continuing my work as an officer in the Unite for Sight Chapter on campus. I will never forget this trip! You have no idea how much this memory means to me and what it has inspired me to do and be!"--Hafeezah Omar, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Student, Unite For Sight Volunteer in Accra, Ghana
"If I could sum up my volunteer experience in Chennai in one word I would say amazing. It was without a doubt one of the most incredible and rewarding experiences I have ever had, and is probably the only thing I have done in my life that has made a real difference to the lives of hundreds of people.
In Chennai, I was working with a fantastic team of optometrists, clinic managers and doctors from the Uma Eye Clinic, as well as 7 other very committed Unite for Sight volunteers. On camp days, the clinic bus would take the volunteers to a rural village or school where we would set up the screening facilities for that days camp. We managed to screen over a hundred people per camp, providing many of them with glasses. We would often find people in the village with such severe cataracts that their world must have been nothing more than a blur. These patients would be brought to the Hande Hospital where they would be operated on by the clinic doctors. A week later we would visit the patients in their villages to check how they were doing. The reception we received from the villagers was amazing- a crowd of people would start following the bus from the moment we entered the village and by the time we reached the village hall the entire village would be gathered outside!
I saw more eye pathology in 3 weeks in Chennai than I would ever have seen in the UK. But the thing that struck me most was that these were preventable and curable causes of blindness, and through something as simple as a pair of glasses or a 20 minute cataract operation we could give someone the gift of sight.
I will never forget my time in India. There are so many memories. The excitement on the faces of the school children when they saw their picture on our digital cameras for the first time; the smile on the villagers faces when they put on a pair of glasses and saw clearly for the first time in years; the lasting friendships I made with the other volunteers through sharing such an incredible experience; the hospitality and gratitude of the villagers. It was a privilege to volunteer in India!"--Naz Qureshi, Medical Student, St. Bartholomew's and the Royal London School of Medicine, Queen Mary, University of London, Unite For Sight Volunteer in Chennai, India
"My experience volunteering in Tamale this summer was both inspiring and rewarding. Dr. Wanye and the ophthalmic nurses that I worked with were incredible individuals who were dedicated to helping the people in their region. The other volunteers in my group were great teammates, and together we were able to make a difference in the lives of hundreds of individuals. The Ghanaian people that we worked with in the villages and the clinic were kind and gracious and openly welcomed us into their lives. Personally, it was one of the best experiences of my life, and I am thankful that I was able to do something that really made a difference. Unite for Sight gives you the opportunity to help fund and support dozens of surgeries that restore vision to hundreds of people every year. During the two months that I was in Tamale, I learned the benefits of volunteer work, and I was inspired by the acts of kindness that I witnessed. Now more then ever, I realize the difference that the gift of sight can make in the life of another."--Joseph Bergsten, University of New Mexico Student, Unite For Sight Volunteer in Tamale, Ghana
"When I went to India this past summer, I had a life changing experience with Unite For Sight.
Our days were carefully planned by Uma Eye Clinic. Our hotel was about 10 minutes from the clinic, and we were picked up by the van that was provided by Unite For Sight at about 8:30 am on the morning of the camps. The camps were mostly in villages about 1-3 hours away from the Chennai area, and seemed like an entirely different world from Chennai city. As we drove down the narrow road, we were greeted by a crowd of people at the entrance of each village, eagerly awaiting our arrival. We started our camps at around 10:00 am. On most occasions, there wouldn't be electricity in the villages, so the ophthalmologists were unable to use their advanced equipment, and had to use flashlights to diagnose cataracts and other eye diseases. The volunteers and optometrists worked like an assembly line. First, the patients would register with the Uma Eye Clinic representative, and then receive their medical diagnosis from the optometrists and ophthalmologist. After they were given their prescription, we volunteers were responsible for fitting them with the right prescription glasses. It was an amazing experience to see the reactions of the patients who were able to escape their hazy vision and see with clarity for the first time. Their look of gratitude will forever be etched in my mind. Four days a week, we traveled to villages, orphanages, schools and nursing homes and would screen about 100 people daily and fit them with eyeglasses that we had collected diligently over the last year.
My learning experiences with Unite For Sight and Uma Eye Clinic are priceless. I don't think I would have had the opportunity anywhere else to perform phacoemulsification on a goat's eye, or to work with eye doctors to examine patients for cataracts and refractive complications. I came home with experiences that even medical students dream about. Uma Eye Clinic provided the finest teachers and doctors that enhanced my knowledge about ophthalmology. After each eye camp, about 5 patients would travel back with us in the van for cataract surgery. We the interns were able to participate in every step of the patient's journey-the screening process, patient histories, preparation for the surgery that included a myriad of clinical tests and a thorough analysis of the eyes, the surgery process, and finally watching the patient's reaction as he or she regained their vision.
I feel that I have grown tremendously over this past summer, not only in the knowledge that I acquired from the physicians at Uma Eye Clinic, but my interactions with people in the villages and children in the schools. I am deeply indebted to Unite for Sight for giving me this opportunity to volunteer and learn about international medicine and health care."--Prachi Mayenkar, University of Missouri-Columbia BA/MD Candidate, Unite for Sight Volunteer in Chennai, India
What Do Eye Clinics Say?: "I must say that Unite for Sight volunteers have come to give hope to the people of Tamale and Northern Region, and all of us appreciate the wonderful work these volunteers are doing for these poor and vulnerable people who otherwise would not have access to quality eye care services.
God bless you for your good works, and we hope you would continue to offer your services even more as we struggle with the almost nonexistent resources both human and material in an attempt to give the poor people of Northern Region the Right to Sight. We need you more than ever to be able to achieve the VISION 2020 goal of the Right to Sight for all by the year 2020."--Dr. Seth Wanye, Ophthalmologist, Eye Clinic of Tamale Teaching Hospital, Tamale, Ghana
"So many people tell me to thank you and your family each day for the help you have given by giving sight to the poor. Our desire to serve and poor patients desire to see would not have been possible without the help and support of Unite For Sight." --Dr. Ajit Sinha, Director, A.B. Eye Institute; President, All India Ophthalmological Society
"It is a great pleasure to work with Unite For Sight in Ghana to achieve the goals of Vision2020, the Right to Sight global initiative launched by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB). Unite For Sight's high quality programs are very very useful and greatly valued in Ghana. Unite For Sight has touched the lives of so many people in Ghana and reduced the suffering of mankind. The question I have always asked myself is 'what would have happened to all these people who have benefited from Unite For Sight programs had the organization not come to their aid?' It is likely that many would have perished in their agony." --Dr. James Clarke, Ophthalmologist and Medical Director, Crystal Eye Clinic, Ghana
