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IEF: Preventing Blindness and Restoring Sight in the Developing World
SINCE 1961, the International Eye Foundation has worked across the globe to help people like Jostala Benjamin Kanyang'ama see again (pictured above before treatment). We bring our blindness prevention and sight restoration service and programs to people like Jostala everyday in the developing world.
IEF Bulgaria Tour
IEF's 4th Annual Educational Tour will visit Bulgaria from July 1 to 11, 2012. A highlight of the Tour will be a visit to IEF's partner, the Pashev Center for Sight, and the International Eye Bank in Sofia seeing first hand blindness prevention, sight restoration and training activities. Learn about the significant changes in ophthalmology since the "velvet revolution" in 1989, when Bulgaria moved from Communism to capitalism and democracy.
Experience Bulgaria's unique culture and its strategic place in the history of the Balkans through visits to such iconic and historical sites as Tsarevets Fortress, Perpericon, and the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Nessebar on the Black Sea and Rila Monastery.
The tour is limited to 20 people. For Tour brochure and further details, click here.
Tour Brochure:
IEF Bulgaria Tour Brochure
Saving Sight for a Lifetime
Make a difference - help restore the vision of a child, a grandparent or a parent around the world. Here are some examples of what a small amount of money can do:
- $5 will sponsor 1 pair of glasses for a needy child
- $50 will sponsor 10 pairs of glasses
- $75 will sponsor 1 cataract operation
- $200 will sponsor surgery to restore a child's sight
- $475 will sponsor a cataract surgery instrument set
- Give Now
Make a gift in tribute to someone special. Honoring a friend, family member, or colleague with a gift to the International Eye Foundation is a wonderful way to recognize a significant achievement or a milestone. You will be helping others with the gift of sight as you pay tribute to that special person. IEF will send an acknowledgement card in your name to the person(s) being honored.
Contact Calvin Baerveldt at 240-290-0263 ext 118 or by email at info@iefusa.org for more information.
Two presentations by IEF at the recent World Ophthalmology Congress in Abu Dhabi highlighted the transition to highly efficient and cost effective eye care centers of IEF partners in Peru and India. The presentations were made by IEF President & CEO Victoria Sheffield. The evolution of Divino Nino Jesus Eye Clinic in Peru into a change agent for eye care was described in "From pilot to partnership: a bottom up approach to influence national strategies for eye care development in Peru." The second presentation is titled "Creative solutions to developing capacity for growth in remote areas: 3 case studies from Northern India." With support from Alcon, IEF's efforts focused on increasing cataract surgeries at Akhand Jyothi Eye Hospital (Bahar State), Sitapur Eye Hospital (Uttar Pradesh State), and Rotary Eye Hospital (Himachal Pradesh State). All three of these are in very rural areas of Northern India. The dramatic improvements in eye care delivery as detailed in these presentations exemplify the benefits of IEF's innovative eye care management and sustainability programmng.
To view the presentations click here:
Peru Presentation
India Presentation
Pictured above are Ravilla Thulasiraj from LAICO (India), Bahaa Sabry of Al Noor Foundation (Egypt), and Victoria Sheffield at the Al Noor Foundation booth at the World Ophthalmology Congress in Abu Dhabi.
Check out:
IEF's December 2011 e-newsletter for the latest news December 2011 enewsletter
2010 Annual Report to learn about our programs
2010 Annual Report [2.7Mb Nitro PDF]
2011 IRS Form 990 for tax filing information
2011 IRS Form 990 [2.56Mb Nitro PDF]
2011 Audit Report for financial information
2011 Audit Report [1.76Mb Nitro PDF]
You may contribute through your workplace giving campaign by designating IEF. Our number for the CFC is 12080 and for United Way is 0318.[Give Now]
Check Out IEF's Charity Navigator Review
Larry Pate Named Director of IEF's SightReach Surgical Program
Larry Pate has joined IEF as the new Director of SightReach Surgical®. He has 20 years of extensive experience in the ophthalmic and optometric healthcare sectors including over 10 years in the retail healthcare sector. While earning his degree in biological science from Hampton University and a certificate in Computer and Information Science from ECPI University’s College of Technology, both in Virginia, Larry worked as an optician for six years. He then joined the Virginia Commonwealth University Health Care Systems in Richmond, Virginia where, as a Certified Ophthalmic Technician, he served as the lead technical and surgical coordinator at the Medical College of Virginia. Larry enjoyed lecturing to medical students and incoming ophthalmology residents on the use of ophthalmic equipment. IEF’s President & CEO said “we are excited to have Larry with us as he brings to the position tremendous knowledge of ophthalmic technology, opticianry, computer science, and teaching. He also speaks Spanish and, as the son of a US Marine officer, brings a value set of dedication, integrity, and the pursuit of excellence to his work.”
IEF established SightReach Surgical® in 1999, the first non-profit platform for ophthalmic products specifically targeted to helping eye care providers in the developing world reduce the cost of providing care. We are grateful to the hundreds of manufacturers and distributors who help make it possible for IEF to fulfill this mission. We also thank the many hundreds of ophthalmologists, support staff, and NGO partners who utilize SightReach Surgical® for their ophthalmic procurement needs. Bringing new, modern technology to our colleagues and partners is part of IEF’s overall mission. SightReach Surgical® is a trusted source for quality products at affordable prices.
Please contact Larry with for information and procurement needs at lpate@iefusa.org or by phone at +1 (240) 290-0263 ext. 121. You can also reach Leaticia Nguiandem in SightReach Surgical® at leaticia@iefusa.org on extension 122.