Orbis in the Middle East

05/06/2025

🌙✨ Eid al-Adha Mubarak from all of us at Orbis in the Middle East! ✨🌙

For those who celebrate this meaningful time with loved ones, we extend our warmest wishes of peace, joy, and good health to you and your family.

For many Muslims around the world, Eid al-Adha is a time to focus on the values of compassion, generosity, and community. At Orbis, we honour these values by continuing our sight-saving work in Muslim communities across Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Ghana and beyond — helping ensure that everyone, no matter where they live, has access to the eye care they need to see a brighter future.

💛 May your Eid be filled with light, love, and lasting memories.

Orbis UK

30/04/2025

🌟 How Toan Got His Sight Back in Da Bac 🌟

In the remote landscapes of Da Bac, Vietnam, 10-year-old Toan struggled with blurry vision, affecting his school life and confidence. Thanks to a life-changing eye screening project by Orbis, Toan received free glasses and can now see clearly! 👓✨

Read Toan's inspiring story here: https://tinyurl.com/5h3p2km9

29/04/2025

Imagine being forced to flee violence, rebuilding your life in a refugee camp, only then to lose your sight just two years later. For Boshir, this was his devastating reality in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. His world turned dark, and the simple tasks that many of us take for granted became nearly impossible.

“I couldn’t see anything or do any work. I needed someone to guide me wherever I went. I couldn’t even count money. I became a burden on my family,” Boshir recalls.
Thanks to Orbis, he was able to undergo life-changing cataract surgery, completely free of charge. Now, Boshir is not only able to see again but also gives back to his community. “I’ve referred at least 100 people for treatment at the Vision Centre. I not only raise awareness, but I also accompany them to the hospital when needed,” he shares proudly.

Read more about Boshir’s story here:

Imagine fleeing violence and starting a new life in a refugee camp, only to lose your sight two years later. For Boshir, a 60-year-old man who now lives in the refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, this became his heartbreaking reality.

20/04/2025

“When she began holding paper just inches from her face, our hearts sank,” Nandin-Egshiglen mum said. “We knew something was very wrong.” At just four years old, she was diagnosed with cataracts—a condition that could have stolen her sight forever if left untreated.

Living in Mongolia, her family didn’t have access to the specialised care she needed. Then came a ray of hope: the Orbis Flying Eye Hospital. Onboard, our expert volunteer surgeons performed a sight-saving surgery that restored her vision.

Today, Nandin-Egshiglen is back to nursery, her once-clouded eyes now filled with light and curiosity. But her story reminds us of a sobering truth: millions of children in low-income countries don’t have access to basic eye care, let alone the surgery needed to save their sight.

Read Nandin-Egshiglen’s story and discover how Orbis is bringing eye care to those who need it most:

At just four years old, Nandin-Egshiglen's world began to blur. She lost interest in her favourite activities, stopped playing with friends, and didn’t want to go to nursery. For her parents, the sudden clouding of her eyes was a heartbreaking mystery—one they knew they had to solve quickly.

17/04/2025

👓📚 Every child deserves the chance to learn without limits 📚👓

Good vision supports a child's education, yet many learners struggle in school due to undiagnosed eye conditions. That’s why Orbis, supported by the Qatar Fund For Development, is working to bring eye care directly to schools across Zambia’s Copperbelt under the Qatar Creating Vision initiative.

In 2024 with our partners, school screenings ensured over 46,100 learners received eye exams and when needed, treatment—helping them see clearly to reach their full potential.

"Setting up screening points within the school makes it easier for learners to access eye care, which can otherwise be challenging due to various barriers," says Mr. Mwango, headteacher at a Primary School in Mufulira.

With support from dedicated teachers, community health workers, and healthcare providers, we’re making sure no child’s future is limited by poor vision. School screenings are in full swing in 2025, bringing even more children the sight-saving care they deserve.

Learn more here: https://me.orbis.org/en

Orbis Zambia Orbis UK

Training is at the very heart of everything we do. With the help of our world-leading expert medical volunteers, we provide training to all types of healthcare workers – from doctors and nurses in regional hospitals to district leaders and teachers in remote areas.

15/04/2025

💙 “It feels like I’ve been given a new life, and the greatest gift is being able to read the Quran again.”

For years, Ambiya’s world faded into darkness. Forced to flee her home in Myanmar, she arrived in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, struggling to see and unable to do something she had cherished all her life—reading the Quran

But thanks to free cataract surgery provided by Orbis and our partners, her sight was restored. Now, she can see clearly again, live independently, and return to the moments that bring her peace.

Learn more about Ambiya’s story and our work in Cox’s Bazar: https://tinyurl.com/2zj3ee6p

08/04/2025

Selamimesh works tirelessly as a potter to provide for her family in Ethiopia. With her hands covered in clay, she shapes beautiful pottery, hoping to give her children a better future.

But the very work that sustains her family also puts them at risk. Without access to clean water and soap, she and her children are exposed daily to trachoma a painful eye infection that spreads easily and, if untreated, can lead to permanent blindness.

"I am always worried about my children or I becoming blind," Selamimesh shares. "Pottery increases the risk of trachoma, but we have no other means of income."

Read Selamimesh’s story and abouthow Orbis is protecting people's sight: https://tinyurl.com/2xn5yda2

02/04/2025

✨ “My sons can now see more clearly, which makes me very happy. They are walking and playing without help.” – Kholil, father of Hasan & Hossain.

Hasan and Hossain, twin boys from Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, had their sight restored thanks to Orbis supported cataract surgery. From struggling to see to exploring with wonder, their story is a powerful reminder of how access to eye care changes lives.

Read their full story here:

In Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, Kholil faced a heart-wrenching reality. His twin boys, Hasan and Hossain, were struggling with their sight. What began with squinting, soon turned into more serious stumbles as they struggled to learn to walk without clear vision. As any parent would, Kholil felt a deep...

18/03/2025

🌍 Battling the Elements to Bring Sight to Zambia’s Children 👓☀️🌧️

Through the Qatar Creating Vision initiative, funded by Qatar Fund For Development and implemented by Orbis, Community Eye Health Champions are braving Zambia’s worst drought in 40 years—now followed by intense rains—to deliver life-changing eye care. 🚴‍♀️💨

🌧️ Through floods & scorching heat, they travel miles—often by bicycle—ensuring no child is left behind. These visits to rural communities in the Copperbelt province have led to:
👁️ 105,000+ children’s sight screened
🏥1,300+ surgeries performed
👓4,100+ glasses prescribed

💬 “Providing these frontline workers with the tools and support they need ensures that, no matter the circumstances, children can receive life-changing eye care.” – Andrew Wardle, Orbis UK

These heroes fight the elements so children can see a brighter future. ✨

Orbis Zambia Orbis UK

In the rural areas of Zambia’s Copperbelt Province, a dedicated team of Community Eye Health Champions is making a life-changing impact, ensuring children receive the vital eye care they need.

05/03/2025

✨ Khang’s world was blurry—until Orbis helped bring it into focus.

Khang struggled to see from an early age. He squinted, tilted his head, and held books close to his face. His first pair of glasses helped, but when they broke, he was left without a solution.

Then, everything changed. At a free Orbis-supported vision screening at Can Tho Children’s Hospital, specialists confirmed his condition had gotten worse. Thanks to Orbis, Khang received a brand-new pair of glasses—completely free of charge.

Now, he’s full of confidence, playing with friends, and learning without limits! His mum says, “Without this support, I don’t know when we could have bought him new glasses. This programme truly means a lot to us.”

📖 Read Khang’s full story and see how Orbis is transforming children’s futures.

https://tinyurl.com/mwb9fdub

At just three years old, Khang was struggling to see. He tilted his head, squinted, and held his books so close to his eyes, it was clear something was wrong. Loan, Khang's mother, who shares a small, rented room with him in Can Tho, Vietnam, thought that something might be stuck in his eyes.

28/02/2025

Ramadan Kareem 🌙 💙

We’re extending our heartfelt wishes to all who are observing Ramadan.

At Orbis, we’re committed to bringing hope and healing to all those in need of eye care, and we’re proud to continue our sight-saving work for Muslim communities in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and elsewhere around the world during this time.

Throughout Ramadan we will be sharing stories of people whose sight you are helping us to save, and the hope it has brought them.

We hope that this Ramadan brings you and your loved one’s joy, peace, and abundance. 🙌