The ODA Outreach
Each year we coordinates a volunteer team via Optical Dispensers Australia (ODA), to travel to Fiji to deliver free vision screenings and prescription glasses to underprivileged communities. The team is made up primarily of Australian and New Zealand optical dispensers and two optometrists, and is supported by local partners Ambassadors for Christ South Pacific and Opticare The Eye Centre. Over five intensive days, the team operates a mobile clinic, travelling long distances by minibus to reach isolated farming villages and remote schools. They work tirelessly to serve long queues of people who have travelled significant distances to access eye care that would otherwise be unavailable, ensuring that no one is turned away.
All eyewear distributed is brand new and of high quality, with frames and lenses generously donated by ODA’s industry partners and South Pacific Eye Care Foundation supporters. Where significant eye conditions or eye disease are identified that cannot be corrected with prescription lenses, patients are referred to Opticare The Eye Centre in Lautoka for further consultation.
While we are supported through generous donations of frames and lenses, there are many other significant costs involved in delivering these projects. One of the largest expenses is shipping and logistics. Transporting bags of equipment and thousands of pairs of glasses internationally is a substantial and unavoidable cost.
Our equipment is basic and travels with us. Through donations and fundraising activities, our goal is to invest in a portable, practical kit of up-to-date equipment that will allow us to not only continue our work in Fiji, but also expand our reach to more regions across the South Pacific - including regional areas of Australia.
Do you want to volunteer?
Our Fiji project takes place each July and is coordinated through Optical Dispensers Australia (ODA). Invitations to apply are open to qualified Optical Dispensers, Dispensing Opticians and Optometrists. You must be an ODA Member to be considered and possess the means to cover your travel costs and volunteer fee. Applications open througout November and December each year.
