Dominican

Republic

Nearly 60% of the population falls into low socioeconomic classes, indicating widespread poverty. This emphasizes the pressing need for interventions to combat poverty and enhance living conditions nationwide. Due to these high poverty rates, many people face limited access to healthcare services. Additionally, the DR recently graduated its first batch of optometry students, marking a milestone in formal training. Before this, individuals primarily learned as technicians without formal optometry education.

Tailored healthcare interventions, such as our "QuieroVer" school screening program for children, address diverse age-specific needs effectively. With four years of experience in low-income Dominican communities, CharityVision's equipment donations, surgical supplies, and monitoring efforts aim to improve healthcare access and outcomes in underserved areas, bridging the gap between public and private paying patients. In addition, our optometry and nurse training programs aim to continue to build better optometrists in the country.

Our Partners

Current Projects

Sending Equipment

CharityVision’s warehouse plays a crucial role in the fight against blindness by serving as the central hub for acquiring, sorting, and shipping eyeglass frames and lenses to Uganda. Thanks to generous donations from optical companies and supporters, our warehouse team meticulously inspects, organizes, and packages thousands of frames and lenses. We are currently preparing their very first shipment ever to ensure our local eye care partners in Uganda receive the necessary resources to provide life-changing vision correction.
New Partnerships

Country Director Juliet Nalubowa is connecting with new partners. Our 2025 goal is 18 partnerships with local hospitals and clinics, doubling our efforts from 2024.
School Eye Screenings

The Uganda team aims to collaborate with schools and businesses to ensure that children in need receive accessible eye care. This marks the inaugural year for the program's implementation. There is an urgent demand for portable equipment to be delivered to outreach events, along with additional personnel or technicians to assist with screenings.

“Working as Director for CharityVision Uganda allows me to see the beautiful smiles of my people regain sight and hope after a long time of blindness. Thanks to CharityVision, we can help those with curable blindness.”

GLASSES DONATED:
2,174

OUTREACHES:
98

PATIENTS SCREENED:
38,000

SURGERIES PERFORMED:
1,587

See all annual reports here.

Stories from the field

Cataract Kit Donations

In many government hospitals, patients must purchase their own materials, costing $60-$75—an impossible amount for the world’s poorest. Dr. Kalinaki received 500 surgical kits to bless the lives of thousands of low-income individuals in his community.
Uganda's Programs are Growing

CharityVision partners with local physicians to empower medical communities. The Ophthalmology Society of Uganda signed a partnership agreement to receive social patients every month!
New Equipment for Partners

CharityVision takes care of its partners! We donated an eye care tonometer to the Mbarara Clinic. This allows them to measure the pressure inside the eye (intraocular pressure) during the outreaches.
Run For Sight!

CharityVision Uganda ran a marathon alongside the GAF Foundation to raise awareness of curable blindness. What a fun way to celebrate World Sight Day!
Uganda's First SightBuddies

The Sibuse Primary School welcomed our SightBuddies program, in partnership with the GAF Eye Health Foundation, to assist 170 children! Despite having limited resources and a small team, they identified cases of refractive errors, allergies, and cataracts, and referred students for further care.