Orbis Ireland

The Flying Eye Hospital has officially touched down in Mongolia! Along with it is Dr. Harry O’Halloran, a dedicated Ophthalmologist and proud member of the Orbis Volunteer Faculty. 🌍 ✈️💙

“𝒀𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒂 𝒇𝒖𝒏 𝒅𝒂𝒚. 𝑰 𝒅𝒊𝒅 𝒕𝒘𝒐 𝒄𝒂𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒘𝒐 𝒍𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒔. 𝑺𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒐𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒘 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒘𝒐 𝒅𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒔. 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒂 𝒃𝒖𝒏𝒄𝒉 𝒐𝒇 𝒆𝒙𝒄𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝑴𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒂𝒏 𝒐𝒑𝒉𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒎𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒔 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒆.”

👀 Stay tuned—more exciting updates are on the way!

P.S. If you joined us at the Orbis Ireland Gift of Sight Ball in January 2024, you might recall Harry sharing his inspiring experiences with the Flying Eye Hospital in Ghana back in 2019, along with his passion for Orbis! ✈️💙

A huge thank you to Harry and incredible volunteers like him who make our mission possible. Your dedication changes lives around the world! 🙏💙

𝗠𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗶 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀 – 𝗔𝗱𝗱𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲!

A heartfelt congratulations to all Ethiopian participants in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Athletics and Swimming. You’ve made us immensely proud! A special shout-out to the 4 brilliant medallists who shined on the global stage:

🥈 Men's 10,000m Silver – Berihu Aregawi (26:43.440)

🥈 Women's 800m Silver – Tigist Duguma (1:57.150)

🥈 Women's Marathon Silver – Tigist Assefa (2:22:58.000)

🥇 Men's Marathon Gold – Tamirat Tola Adera (2:06:26)

𝗪𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘂𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝗘𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗮 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗘𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗥𝘂𝗻! 🏃‍♂️✨ We can’t wait to dive back into the vibrant energy of Addis and witness some of Ethiopia's incredible athletes firsthand. This run is more than just a race—it’s about creating lasting memories while making a meaningful impact by raising vital funds for Orbis’s Sight Saving Project in Ethiopia. 📸💙

𝗪𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝘂𝘀 —𝘄𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝘆 𝗿𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮𝗳𝗮𝗿. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀!

Orbis’s telemedicine and e-learning platform saw a surge in its userbase at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic from 20,000 in February 2020 to 100,000 as of July 2024.

Continued growth following the pandemic shows the demand for virtual learning and mentorship in eye care around the world is just as high as ever.

We’d like to say a huge thank you to the Orbis community for helping grow into the platform it is today. From our Volunteer Faculty who give up their free time to deliver online webinars and consult on complex cases, to the dedicated eye care professionals around the world who use it to improve the quality of the care they provide, and of course our wonderful supporters – together we’re helping change the way the world sees.

Last week Mattel introduced the first-ever blind Barbie. 🎉

The doll comes equipped with a cane, sunglasses, and clothing with varied textures, all designed to provide a more inclusive play experience. Moreover, the packaging features braille, ensuring that the unboxing experience is accessible for blind and visually impaired children. This is a groundbreaking move and demonstrates progress and inclusivity by Mattel. 👀✨

At Orbis, we understand the importance of representation, and we applaud Mattel's commitment to diversity and inclusivity. It's a reminder that inclusivity can and should be woven into the fabric of everything we create. Let's continue to support and celebrate these significant strides toward a more inclusive society.

🌍✈️ The Orbis Flying Eye Hospital is getting ready to head to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia for its next sight-saving trip!

Over three weeks, our expert medical volunteers will train local eye care teams to enhance surgical skills. The training begins with surgical simulation sessions, preparing teams for hands-on experience. Patients will then board the Flying Eye Hospital to receive sight-saving surgery, where the trained eye care teams will assist and gain invaluable practical knowledge to benefit their communities for generations to come.

Follow us for live updates in the coming weeks from Mongolia.

Meet Amseselech, a dedicated science teacher and leader of the School Eye Club in her community near Arba Minch, southern Ethiopia 🌍. With nearly two decades of teaching experience, she’s seen incredible changes in education access and community health 📚❤️. Passionate about shaping the future, Amseselech leads the school’s Eye Club 👁️, teaching about eye health issues like trachoma, a painful blinding eye disease, through engaging plays and activities 🎭. Her efforts inspire students to stay in school and make a difference in their community.

To read more about Amseselech follow the link to our website: https://irl.orbis.org/en/news/meet-amseselech-science-teacher-and-school-eye-club-leader

🌎 Ready to make a difference? Join Orbis for the RUN 20/20 Virtual Challenge this September! 🏃‍♂️🌟 Whether you’re a seasoned runner or just starting out, this virtual challenge is for everyone.

🌟 What’s the Buzz?
RUN 20/20: Run or walk as far as you can throughout September. 🏅
Healthy Competition: Compete against friends/colleagues and other groups. 🏆
RUN 20/20 App (proudly supported by Four Star Pizza): Track your activities and stay motivated! 📱

Support Orbis: Every step counts toward preventing blindness worldwide. 👁️💙
👟 Lace Up & Register: Visit the link in our bio and sign up today!

June is , a time to shine a spotlight on the leading cause of blindness worldwide.

Cataract is a clouding of the lens and blocks light from entering the eye, leading to vision loss and eventually blindness. More than 40% of global blindness is caused by cataracts, even though the disease can be treated with a 20-minute surgery.

Millions of people around the world are missing out on the surgery they need due to a lack of access to quality eye care. That’s where the Orbis community steps in.

With our network of partners, supporters (that’s you!), staff, and world-leading volunteers, communities are provided with the skills and resources they need to treat cataracts.

With your support, Orbis provides:

👁Specialised simulation prosthetics and portable and affordable virtual reality equipment so eye teams can hone their skills more effectively.

👁Hands-on specialised surgical training delivered by world-leading Volunteer Faculty.

👁Free online lectures, webinars, and even remote consultations, so eye teams around the world can access best-in-class training anywhere, anytime.

Happy cataract awareness month and thank you for your ongoing support. It means so much to so many.

Please Support Sean Murnin's page on https://www.idonate.ie Sean Murnin's page

𝐖𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩! Please take a moment (approx. 2 mins) to nominate Orbis Ireland to be a recipient of the AIB Community €1 Million Fund 2024. Nominations will close on 𝐖𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟏𝟐 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞, so please do act quickly. Follow this link to nominate Orbis: https://aib.ie/personal-forms/community-fund

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗡𝗮𝗺𝗲: Project Orbis Ireland
𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗡𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿: 20061531
𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Greater Dublin
𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗲: Other

Six charities will be shortlisted in each region based on the number of public nominations they receive. Help us gather more nominations by sharing this post.

Thank you for your support!

Fuad, an optometrist in rural Ethiopia 🇪🇹, is dedicated to improving eye health in his community. His work provides children with glasses, trains teachers to identify vision problems, and promotes eye health awareness. Fuad's story showcases the life-changing impact of Orbis Ireland's initiatives, which are made possible by our generous supporters.

To read the full story follow this link: https://irl.orbis.org/en/news/fuads-story-of-helping-kids-see

Thank you to The Wheel for an inspiring day at the . Held at Croke Park and opened by Minister Joe O'Brien, the event offered fantastic networking opportunities and lots of fresh ideas and insights. It was great to hear Noeline Blackwell and other panellists discuss the past and future of the third sector and its role in creating a more equitable society.

Last week, we had the honour to speak about our sight-saving work in Ethiopia at St. Michael’s College. Dylan, a student from St. Michael’s, joined us on our trip to Ethiopia last November, where we took part in the Great Ethiopian Run and visited the Orbis Ireland Eye Care Project near Arba Minch in southern Ethiopia. In Dylan’s words “The great Ethiopian run was unlike anything I’d ever done before…and the visit to a school, where Orbis trains teachers to recognise eye diseases in their students, was the highlight of my trip”.

A huge thank you to St. Michael’s for hosting us and for their incredible efforts in raising vital funds for Orbis. 🌍✨

🏃‍♀️🏃 If you haven't registered for the Irish Life Dublin Marathon in 2024 yet, now is your chance to secure your spot.📢

Join Team Orbis for the Dublin Marathon and raise funds for Orbis and their fight against avoidable blindness in Ethiopia👀🇪🇹.

For more information, contact Ciara at [email protected] or register your interest by following this link: https://forms.office.com/r/7ceuwNcsgv , and we'll be in touch.

✨

Last November, Orbis Ireland 🇮🇪 staff and Board members returned to Addis Ababa to take part in the annual Great Ethiopian Run for the 13th year running! This year Orbis Ireland took 66 incredible runners, who together raised more than €180,000 to help improve access to quality eye care across the country. 🇪🇹

After the Run, the Orbis Ireland team flew south to Arba Minch to visit some of our sight-saving projects. They were invited to visit Orbis eye clubs at primary schools, where teachers and health officials screen children for refractive error. The team was excited to meet so many children whose lives were changed because of a simple pair of glasses. 😎

They also stopped by a local health center where Orbis-trained eye care workers perform sight-saving surgery.

A big thank you to Orbis Ireland and their incredible supporters for their sight-saving work in Ethiopia. 💙💙

📢Get your donation matched today.

Please consider donating today so that children like Netsanet receive quality eye care and access to the services they need to improve their vision. 👀

This week, our friends at GlobalGiving are matching all donations up to €50 by 50% until the matching funds are exhausted.
❗If you donate €50, we will receive €75❗

Your donations can have a profound impact on children's lives, preserving their vision and contributing to their overall health and well-being. With your support, children who have dropped out of school due to vision problems can return to their education. 🎓

Follow this link to make your donation: https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/restoring-vision-in-ethiopia-within-20-minutes/

Thank you for your support - we couldn't do it without you 🫶

🌍 Today marks WHO World Health Day 2024, centred around the theme 'My health, my right’.

This year’s focus highlights the fundamental right of everyone, everywhere, to have access to quality health services, education, and information, as well as safe drinking water, clean air, good nutrition, quality housing, decent working and environmental conditions, and freedom from discrimination.❗

At Orbis, we believe every person has the right to access good quality eye care, regardless of where they were born or how much money they have. 👀

Thanks to your support, we train ophthalmologists and nurses from all around the world on our Flying Eye Hospital. And with our award-winning telemedicine platform Cybersight, we’re providing best-in-class training, one-on-one consultations, and live surgical demonstrations to 91,000 health professionals from nearly every country in the world.

But we don’t just train, we also treat. With your support, we put eye care within reach through sight-saving programs that serve communities where they are. Over the past ten years, Orbis led over 28 million sight-saving eye screenings and exams and over 505,000 eye surgeries and laser treatments.

None of this would be possible without your incredible support. 🫶 Thank you for joining us on this journey to make quality eye care a reality for all. 💙

You'll find us at HELL & BACK on Saturday, 08 June!

If you're interested in joining the Orbis team and participating in this fun, team-building challenge while raising vital funds for Orbis Ireland, register your interest by following this link: https://b66d66f2.sibforms.com/serve/MUIEAEG7qu6f501yrZRPoz2PCMEJt6JRUefpyoASHcGiR9hTCiSnkQmUInnFcrhEOlG9xTMehAktcdvjemD-_SJwyImTPnxIjX9p70cvx5XpA5u2CuQsmcMeKjoavYWDJiqMsJxPpbTWOI0RjjQfuix7cX0FAktinLxoOL0AI1o-iVihvAAEws9bly6WcSwh_NGhzarUk1RoeutO

📧Or contact Ciara at [email protected]. Hurry, as spots are limited.📢

💧 Did you know? 2.2 billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water, including 703 million without a basic water service (UN SDG 6)

Lack of access to clean water not only poses health risks but also exacerbates poverty and hinders economic development. Diseases like trachoma - a painful, blinding eye infection, thrive in such conditions. That's why, with your support, Orbis is installing water harvesting units in schools in Ethiopia. Just one unit provides clean water to 500+ children, safeguarding their health and futures.

Join us this and like this post or donate via the link in our bio. 👆Your support makes a lasting difference! 💙

Today, on International Day of Happiness, we want to share Rhoda's radiant smile with you. 🤩

For three years, she battled a blinding cataract, facing daily challenges with cloudy vision. But thanks to the incredible support of the Orbis community, Rhoda received life-changing surgery aboard the Flying Eye Hospital.✈️ Afterwards, she said, “I'm very excited because I can cross the roads on my own now and even see things on the TV." 💫🌟

Today, let's spread happiness by celebrating stories of resilience and transformation!🥰🫶

In 2022, Tadelech, a mother of five, faced the challenges of trachoma, a painful, blinding eye disease that left her unable to care for her family. After receiving surgery to reverse the effects of trachoma, her life has transformed. Last November, she joyfully shared her journey at Doko Masho Health Centre, explaining how she rediscovered the ability to provide for her family and is now able to witness her youngest daughter growing up. Stay tuned for Tadelech's inspiring story!🌟

We’d like to say a huge congratulations to Orbis Africa Medical Advisor Dr. Ciku Mathenge, who was admitted into the exclusive Academia Ophthalmologica Internationalis. She is the first African woman and currently the only serving African member to be part of this Elite group of 100 Global Academic leaders in Ophthalmology. Another amazing achievement for Dr. Mathenge after being named President of the African Ophthalmology Council in January last year.

🌸 Join Orbis in celebrating Mother's Day!

Give the gift of love by entering our giveaway for a chance to win a delightful Johnstown Estate afternoon tea for two – a perfect way to celebrate Mother’s Day.
The best part? You'll also be supporting Orbis Ireland in their mission to improve access to quality eye care in Ethiopia.🇪🇹

To enter, all you have to do is:
• follow us
• like & share this post
• tag your plus one

It's that simple! Giveaway ends at 11:55PM on 10 March 2024. Winners will be contacted on 11 March via Instagram. Make a difference and celebrate someone special! 🌟

PS: Check out our latest posts and show some support with a like ❤️ ! Your like helps us spread awareness about preventable blindness.

Happy to all the amazing women in the eye care sector!

❗ Did you know that a lack of women eye health providers is a major barrier to access for women and girls around the world? Women and girls are often more comfortable receiving treatment from a female care provider, which is why Orbis is dedicated to increasing the number of women in ophthalmology.👀

Globally, women represent only 25-30% of ophthalmologists and 25-45% of professionals-in-training. And in a recent survey of Cybersight users, 30% of women respondents said that they experience challenges that men do not in accessing eye healthcare training.🎓

Follow this link https://irl.orbis.org/en/blindness-gender-inequality/international-womens-day to find out what the Orbis community is doing to help build a fairer and more equitable future for women and girls.

Orbis Ireland plans to embark on another exciting adventure to Ethiopia this November (14-21) for the Great Ethiopian Run. Over the years, we have been fortunate to have over 500 people travel to Ethiopia with Orbis.

Not only will you participate in the Great Ethiopian Run, but you will also visit Orbis's eye care projects in rural Ethiopia. This is a unique opportunity to witness the incredible work that Orbis is doing to combat preventable blindness in rural communities of Ethiopia. Visit our website to find out more…

https://irl.orbis.org/en/events/great-ethiopian-run

Last week our fabulous Orbis Medical Volunteers were in Hawassa, Ethiopia participating in a Hospital Based Training Programme (HBT) to help improve paediatric eye care services in Southern Ethiopia.

In many remote communities, infants and children remain visually impaired and at risk of blindness from strabismus (also known as crossed eyes ). Strabismus often leads to struggles at school with education and making friends. During HBTs local eye care teams are trained in advanced paediatric strabismus treatment to create a long-lasting solution to this problem.

Thanks to our network of partners, supporters, staff, and volunteers, we are working to give local communities the skills they need to fight avoidable blindness.

Orbis is excited to be featured in the next phase of Meta's campaign showcasing how the Metaverse is driving change across a range of industries, including healthcare.

The second phase of Meta's "Impact Is Real" campaign takes a deeper dive into how the unique tool we developed with FundamentalVR, which helps doctors in under-resourced communities grow their cataract surgical skills using virtual reality, is already making a difference in eye care.

Read more in the by following this link: https://irl.orbis.org/en/news/2024/meta-campaign-2024-

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Gratitude in flight! 🛫

A big thank you to the National Flight Centre for generously donating all Boeing 737 Voucher proceeds this past year!🙏 Their incredible effort raised €9,500, presented by Darragh Owens, Head of Training at the NFC, and Diane Weatherup, Development Director at Orbis Ireland. We also extend our heartfelt appreciation to everyone who purchased a voucher.

We look forward to working with the National Flight Centre in 2024. Stay tuned for exciting developments ahead. 👀

🌍✨Today, on World Social Justice Day, we want to introduce you to Salsawi, an 8-year-old boy from Hawassa, Ethiopia. At the young age of 2, Salsawi began showing symptoms of strabismus, a condition causing misalignment of the eyes.

World Social Justice Day prompts us to shine a light on disorders like strabismus and advocate for equal access to eye care services, regardless of socio-economic status or geographic location.

Thanks to a program organised by Orbis, Salsawi underwent surgery at Hawassa University Referral Hospital, restoring his vision and ensuring he can live without impairment. In the second picture, you can see Salaswi being screened at the hospital. His story underscores the importance of initiatives that allow eye health equity worldwide. 🌍

Follow this link https://irl.orbis.org/en/news/vision-restored-salsawis-journey-to-healthy-eyesight to read Salaswi's full story. 🌟