International Health Volunteer Opportunities
Jennifer Staple
Make A Difference!
What is Unite For Sight's Mission? Unite For Sight (www.uniteforsight.org) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that empowers communities worldwide to improve eye health and eliminate preventable blindness.
How Do
I Apply? The
application as well as complete
details about Unite For Sight's international opportunities are
available at http://www.uniteforsight.org/intl_volunteer/
Unite
For Sight Ghana Film Online: 13-Minute Film
About Unite For Sight Program in Ghana
Unite
For Sight Ophthalmologists Speak Online: 20-Minute
Discussion with Indian and Ghanaian Ophthalmologists Who Are Unite For
Sight Partners and Coordinators
What Do
Volunteers Do?: The
goal of Unite For Sight and its
partner eye clinics and communities is to create eye disease-free
communities. Unite For Sight’s volunteers (local and visiting) work
with partner eye clinics to provide eye care in communities without
previous access. Visiting volunteers from North America range
from undergraduate and medical students, educators, nurses, and public
health professionals to
optometrists and ophthalmologists. The eye clinic’s eye doctors and
Unite For Sight
volunteers jointly provide community-based screening programs in rural
villages.
The clinic’s eye doctors diagnose and treat eye disease in the field,
and surgical patients are brought to the eye clinic for surgery.
Patients receive free surgery funded by Unite For Sight so that no
patient remains blind due to lack of funds.
What
Do Volunteers Say?:
The medical staff at the Uma Eye Clinic in Chennai were hard-working, welcoming, and totally committed both to caring for the patients funded by Unite for Sight and to helping Unite for Sight volunteers become comfortable in a foreign environment. Time and time again they went out of their way to teach us ophthalmologic skills with care and patience. It was a true gift to be able to learn one-on-one from excellent physicians about all steps in the cataract surgery process.
The men, women, and children I met at our traveling eye camps were badly in need of eye care, and I am grateful that we were able to help them. They were also lovely hosts and were excited to show us their culture. As they showed me where they worked and lived, I was often struck by the fact that their sight is important not only to their quality of life, but often also to their ability to provide for themselves and their families. It was at these times that I realized the importance of Unite for Sight’s mission.
Without Unite for Sight, I cannot imagine how I could possibly have seen and learned so much as an undergraduate about medicine, other cultures, and my own desire and ability to make a difference in others’ lives."--Charlotte Hogan, Georgetown University Student, Unite For Sight Volunteer in Chennai, India 2006 and Ghana 2005
"Through volunteering for Unite for Sight, I hoped to put a human face on the issues of poverty, global health inequity, and preventable blindness and gain hands-on experience in the fields of ophthalmology, optometry, and public health. In Jaipur, I accomplished all these goals and gained much more from the experience than I could have possibly imagined. I traveled to some of the most beautiful yet poverty-stricken locations in northern India. I saw some of the worst cases of eye disease imaginable and saw many of these cases cured. I made lifelong friends with fellow volunteers, staff members, and patients. Most importantly, I was able to make a tangible and meaningful difference in the lives of others by screening patients, communicating important eye health information, and attending to patients' pre- and post-operative comfort and well-being.
My entire experience in Jaipur was simply unforgettable, and I will always be grateful to Unite for Sight, Dr. Anshu Sahai, and the entire staff of Eye Research Centre Society for giving me the opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and learn more about ophthalmology, global eye health, and the commonalities that bind all of us together as human beings. This was a truly life-changing experience that made me reevaluate how I wish to spend my life as a scholar, aspiring physician, and global citizen. Perhaps most heartwarming of all were the expressions of thanks and praise I heard from our patients: "Everyone in our town is delighted with the excellent care you provide. Through your great work, we are now able to see you and bless you today! May you live long!"--Nakul Shekhawat, Vanderbilt Student, Unite For Sight Volunteer in Jaipur, India
"I helped restore sight to children and their impoverished families while working with the doctors Sinhas (Dr. Ajit Sinha, Dr. Satyajit Sinha, and Dr. Pooja Sinha) at A.B. Eye Institute in Patna, Bihar. The Sinhas and I worked from 9am to 10pm almost six full days a week. We saw hundreds of patients—the Sinhas saw more patients in one day than many ophthalmologists in the U.S. see in three weeks. We diagnosed all types of eye diseases, prescribed and distributed eyeglasses I had collected in California, and performed vision-restoring surgeries on patients who had been suffering for years. While our job was not always easy, the results were always rewarding. For the first time in my life, I felt like I made an immediate and meaningful impact on peoples’ lives.
Yet this
medical work was only a small part of my journey through India. Living
with the Sinhas, I had the opportunity to experience what so few
foreigners ever see: the traditional life of a modern Indian family. I
didn’t just travel to India, take a few pictures in front of a few
historic monuments, and write off my visit as complete. Instead, I got
to see part of the real India; I ate traditional meals with the family
and attended a Hindu wedding. I was a minority for the first time in my
life—the only white person in a sea of tanner faces. Having traveled to
a state where few foreigners visit, I was confronted daily by stares
and cultural blunders. Everyone I met, however, was more than happy to
help me understand my misconceptions. Never before have I felt so
isolated yet congruently welcomed. Like the contradictions evident in
India’s very nature, I felt simultaneously productive and worthless,
significant and inconsequential. Ultimately, what I took away from this
experience was so much more than just an advanced understanding of
ophthalmology.
So I want to thank the organization Unite For Sight for helping get me
to India. I want to thank the Sinhas for warmly accepting me into their
home and work. And I want to thank the residents of India, and Patna
especially, for making my journey so magnificent. You welcomed me into
your country and allowed me a glimpse of its soul. Bohut
Dhanyavad."--Leigha Winters, Stanford University Student, Unite For
Sight Volunteer in Bihar, India
"While in India I
traveled several kilometers outside Chennai to set up free eye camps.
The most memorable camps were those conducted in the tsunami-affected
villages of Pulicat, which we reached by boat. To spend a day in the
life of a Indian villager was unforgettable. And to stand on the beach
facing the Bay of Bengal exactly two years after the tsunami struck was
a bone-chilling coincidence.
The smiles and laughter's of those village children will forever be
embedded in my memories. Giving them a sense of hope, visiting their
schools and homes, running together on the sandy beaches sporting new
sunglasses-those moments are ones i will forever cherish. I have never
been shown so much respect and appreciation for being me. To them, I
wasn't some strange foreigner, I was simply one of them. It was such an
honor and blessing to volunteer for these incredible individuals.
We were able to screen over 500 villagers with Uma Eye Clinic and
provide sight-restoring
cataract surgeries to dozens, none of whom had access to eye care
before our arrival. I helped with the distribution of prescription
eyeglasses and sunglasses that were prescribed by optometrists. I will
never forget the way those faces lit up with happiness when they put on
the specs. For me, it was truly an eye-opening (pun intended)
opportunity to experience first-hand, life in rural India.
After returning home, I reflected upon all I had seen. And what I
realized is that the gift of sight does not have to be done by some top
notch surgeon, it can be as simple yet powerful as just placing a great
pair of glasses on someone's face after they're prescribed by an
optometrist. An experience like this really makes you appreciate the
little things in life that most of us take for granted. To those of us
that have been blessed with sight, let us not close our eyes to the
people of this world that are living in darkness. They are in dire need
of our support. With organizations like Unite For Sight, together, we
can all make a difference in the world. I am so thankful to have gone
on this adventure because the closed eyes of my heart have now been
opened. As they say in Chennai, "NANDRI" (Tamil word for 'thank-you')
to Unite For Sight for changing my life, and improving the lives of
thousands around the globe."--Hibah Ayaz, Union College Student, Unite
For Sight Volunteer in Chennai, India
Our team spent 4 days going from village to village to screen for
operable cataracts. Aside from cataracts, we also encountered many
other eye problems, many of which were easily preventable or at least
treatable had the patients had access to the right resources. Clearly
there was a desperate need for quality eye care and eye health
education, alongside the need for the establishment of basic
infrastructure.
My time in Ghana was truly eye opening. I now realize that there are
people in many parts of the world who do not have access to the very
basic necessities that I take for granted, and I now sense the
responsibility amongst those of us with more to help those in greater
need. I found Dr. Wanye and the Tamale Eye Clinic staff truly
inspirational. Amidst the many obstacles and frustrations in providing
eye care to the people of the Northern Region, he and the staff
continue to labor with patience and compassion, often making personal
sacrifices for the benefit of the patients. Their attitude has
certainly given me something to aspire to in my future
career."--Michael Chen, UCLA Medical Student, Unite For Sight Volunteer
in Tamale, Ghana
"As
anticipated, the month I spent with Unite for Sight in rural Ghana
profoundly impacted my life and shaped my plans for the future. Though
I came to Ghana to help bring medical care to those in need, I found
that the experiences I had in Ghana gave me far more than can be
expressed in words. From the first evening when I stepped off the plane
in Accra until I tearfully left the village of Patriensa four short
weeks later, I was humbled by the geniality and indomitable spirit of
the Ghanaian people. During the four hour tro-tro (van) ride from Accra
to the clinic in Patriensa I learned about Ghanaian culture and worked
on mastering rudimentary Twi (the local dialect) with the help of a
local volunteer (Gloria) whose uncle helped found the clinic in
Patriensa. Once settled in Patriensa, I formed close friendships with
several individuals with whom I am still in contact, and hope to one
day revisit. While filing patient data in the evenings at the clinic, I
shared my snacks with the night guard, Adom, in exchange for oranges
and cacao from his farm. One day Adom showed up at the clinic with his
son who had sustained blunt trauma to one eye. After Dr. John assessed
the injury, we were able to help Adom and his son get to the hospital
for successful treatment. This is just one of many meaningful
experiences from Ghana that have strengthened my resolve to continue
post-graduate work in global health. While in Ghana I also witnessed
first-hand the contextual roots of certain health problems - namely
pterygium (an under-researched condition prevalent among people living
in tropical regions exposed to direct sunlight) and "premature"
cataracts (which can be caused by chronic exposure to sunlight). Since
most Ghanaians living in and near Patriensa make a living farming,
spending long days in the fields without access to sunglasses,
medications or close proximity to eye care professionals, it isn't
surprising that pterygium and cataracts were 2 of the most common
diagnoses seen in patients from Patriensa and those we visited during
outreach trips to more remote villages. The ease with which I, as an
American, collected and bulk-ordered hundreds of adult's and children's
sunglasses to bring to Ghana made me grateful for the opportunity to
travel with Unite for Sight - an experience which has helped motivate
me to continue working to alleviate health-related global
inequities."--Sadie Richards, University of Vermont Student, Unite For
Sight Volunteer in Patriensa, Ghana
See More
Quotes From Volunteers Online: http://uniteforsight.org/intl_volunteer/volunteersay.php
What
Several of Unite For Sight's Partner Eye Clinics Say:
- "Unite For Sight has touched the lives of so many people in Ghana and reduced the suffering of mankind. Many people now see Unite For Sight as a symbol of hope. 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 Afful Clarke, Ophthalmologist/Medical Director, Crystal Eye Clinic, Ghana
- "Visits of Unite For Sight volunteers help us enormously. They assist us in eye camps when we do surgeries, help us in out reach clinics screening patients for eye diseases and children for refractive error. They help us check vision and distribute glasses. Each volunteer also gives a presentation to the local ophthalmologist on global community ophthalmology at our eye clinics, which is very informative for all. As each day passes, my faith and belief becomes stronger in the fact that our desire to serve the poor patients and their desire to see wouldn’t have been possible without the assistance of Unite For Sight. --Dr. Ajit Sinha, Director, A.B. Eye Institute; President, All India Ophthalmological Society
- "With the help of Unite For Sight and its Volunteers we are able to improve in the number of free cataract surgeries. Prior to our association with Unite For Sight we were doing around 10-30 free cataract surgeries each month. With the help of Unite For Sight we were able to improve our surgical statistics three to four folds and our free surgical volume increased to around 100 each month. Every dollar of donation given to Unite For Sight is reaching to the deepest corners of the world and impacting changes in lives of people by giving them the gift of vision."--Dr. T. Senthil, Ophthalmologist, Uma Eye Clinic and Vision Foundation, Chennai, India
- "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." --Dr. Seth Wanye, Eye Clinic of Tamale Teaching Hospital, Ghana
- "I have no word to express our gratitude for your hard work and untiring commitment towards the eye care work world wide and putting optimum effort to recruit all good volunteers for deployment. As we have been working with partnership by deploying volunteers to our Kalinga Eye Hospital and NYSASDRI based in Orissa, India, it gives me immense pleasure for such worth while partnership for restoring vision of thousands of eye sight from the remote and rural villages. Your support for conducting cataract surgery for poor patients empowered them to live independently and earn their own bread."--Sarangadhar Samal, Director, NYSASDRI, Kalinga Eye Hospital, Orissa, India
- See More Quotes From Eye Clinics and Communities Online: http://uniteforsight.org/intl_volunteer/quotes.php
What Programs Are Available?
Summer 2007
Africa
- Accra, Ghana View details
- August 1-15; August 15-30; August 1-30; September 1-15; September 15-30 (volunteers may participate in more than 1 session)
- Asikuma, Ghana View details
- August 1-20; August 1-25. All other dates filled.
- Patriensa Village in Asante Akim District, Ghana View details
- June 22-July 27; July 27-August 25
- Tamale, Ghana View details
- July 1 - August 18; August 18 - September 15 (volunteers may participate in more than 1 session)
Asia
- Chennai, India View details
- September 1-10; September 10-20; September 20-30 (volunteers may participate in more than 1 session). All other dates filled.
- Dhenkanal, Orissa, India View details
- August 1-15. All other dates filled.
- Jaipur, India View details
- September 1-15. All other dates filled.
- Jodhpur, India View details
- All dates filled.
- New Delhi, India View details
- August 1-20; August 1-25. All other dates filled.
- Patna, Bihar, India View details
- All Dates Filled
Fall 2007
Africa
- Accra, Ghana View details
- September 1-15; September 15-30; October 1-15; October 15-30; November 1-15; November 15-30; December 1-15 (volunteers may participate in more than 1 session)
- Tamale, Ghana View details
- August 18 - September 15; September 15 - October 15
Asia
- Chennai, India View details
- September 1-10; September 10-20; September 20-30; October 1-10; October 10-20; October 20-30; November 1-10; November 10-20; November 20-30 (volunteers may participate in more than 1 session)
- Jodhpur, India View details
- 1-Month Programs: September 1-30, October 1-31; November 1-30
1-Week Programs: September 24-29; November 7-15; December 12-20
- Patna, Bihar, India View details
- Flexible Dates For 2 Weeks
Winter 2007
Asia
- Chennai, India View details
- December 1-10; December 10-18; December 18-30; December 28-January 10; January 1-10; January 10-20; January 20-30; February 1-10; February 10-20; February 20-30 (volunteers may participate in more than 1 session)
- Jaipur, India View details
- December 28-January 10
- Jodhpur, India View details
- 1-Month Programs: December 1-20; January 5-30
1-Week Programs: December 12-20; January 12-20; February 4-12; March 13-21
- New Delhi, India View details
- December 15-January 10
- Patna, Bihar, India View details
- December 28-January 10
Spring 2008
Africa
- Accra, Ghana View details
- May 1-15; May 15-30
- Tamale, Ghana View details
- Flexible dates for 3 weeks or more
Asia
- Chennai, India View details
- February 1-10; February 10-20; February 20-28; March 1-10; March 10-20; March 20-30; April 1-10; April 10-20; April 20-30; May 1-10; May 10-20; May 20-30 (volunteers may participate in more than 1 session)
- Patna, Bihar, India View details
- Flexible dates for 7-14 days
Summer 2008
Africa
- Accra, Ghana View details
- May 1-15; May 15-30; June 1-15; June 1-30; July 1-15; July 1-31; August 1-15; August 1-30; September 1-15; September 15-30 (volunteers may participate in more than 1 session)
- Asikuma, Ghana View details
- June 1-30; July 1-31; August 1-20
- Tamale, Ghana View details
- May 22 - July 1; July 1 - August 18; August 18 - September 15 (volunteers may participate in more than 1 session)
Asia
- Chennai, India View details
- May 1-10; May 10-May 20; May 20-30; June 1-30; June 1-15; June 15-30; July 1-31; August 1-15; August 15-25; August 15-30; September 1-10; September 10-20; September 20-30 (volunteers may participate in more than 1 session)
- Dhenkanal, Orissa, India View details
- June 1-30; July 1-31; August 1-20
- Jaipur, India View details
- August 15-30; September 1-15
- Jodhpur, India View details
- July 1-31
- New Delhi, India View details
- May 10-30; June 1-30; July 1-31; August 1-20; August 1-25
- Patna, Bihar, India View details
- May 25-June 10; July 1-10; July 15-31; August 1-15