MOU extends project funding to Latin America
Optometry’s role in global efforts to eliminate refractive error blindness and low vision have taken a giant leap forward with the announcement that Optometry Giving Sight and VOSH International have formed a cooperative partnership.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), which was signed in Seattle, Washington on June 8th, recognizes Optometry Giving Sight’s expertise in the raising of funds for programs to support the goals of VISION 2020: The Right to Sight in the area of uncorrected refractive error and VOSH International’s activities in the design, implementation and execution of such programs.
“VOSH has made a big difference in the world with its short term missions,” said Larry Hookway, President of VOSH International. “Now that world attention has started to include uncorrected refractive error, we have a chance to shift our focus to more sustainable systems. This will involve more efforts to train locals to care for their communities and establish clinics with permanent clinic staffs.”
Under the terms of the agreement, Optometry Giving Sight will allocate a percentage of total donor funds raised in the United States to VOSH International for sustainable vision care projects that build local capacity and infrastructure. In addition, VOSH International will be able to apply for grant funds from the general grant pool when these are announced.
This means that Optometry Giving Sight will soon be providing funds for sustainable refractive error projects in Latin America. VOSH has a strong track record in the development and support of sustainable projects in this region, having helped to establish FUDEM in El Salvador. This women’s group has self sustaining clinics which run 6 days per week and see 350 people per day and mobile teams that work 250 days per year (pictured above). VOSH International is currently looking to develop sustainable vision care services in Nicaragua.
Professor Brien Holden, Global Executive Chair of Optometry Giving Sight described the collaboration with VOSH International as “a very important cooperation that will greatly benefit people in need, initially in the Americas, but eventually all over the world.”
“Now that world attention has started to include uncorrected refractive error, we have a chance to shift our focus to more sustainable systems.”
| Dr Nelson Rivera, a Texan optometrist who is on the Board of VOSH International, has recently accepted a position with our founding partner, ICEE as coordinator of their programs in Latin America and the Caribbean. A component of the work of ICEE in the region will be collaboration with the Caribbean Council for the Blind to set up Vision Centers in various public sector hospitals, starting with Guyana. This project aims to also establish a local School of Optometry which will train people from the region to provide services to people in high need areas through the creation of vision centers. |
