Program Details and Requirements

Unite For Sight Overview

We believe that everyone should have access to eye care regardless of their ability to pay, and we apply best practices in eye care, public health, and volunteerism to achieve our goal of high quality eye care for all. We encourage you to review the What We Do section of this website to learn about Unite For Sight's high-impact eye care programs in which you, as a volunteer, would participate. The programs are sustainable, apply best practice "gold standard" principles in global health and development, and achieve effective change.

Volunteer Program Summary

High Impact Volunteering

Volunteer Requirements

Application Process

Costs

Volunteering

Academic Credit For Students

More Information

Where does Unite For Sight offer volunteer programs?

Unite For Sight offers volunteer programs in India, Ghana, and Honduras.

Is the Unite For Sight program a hands-on clinical experience?

Yes, the program is a fully hands-on clinical experience. All volunteers participate in clinical service while assisting eye doctors in rural villages, refugee camps, and slums. Volunteers are immersed in international health and development programs while providing eye care to patients living in extreme poverty. While each program location varies slightly, the general program model remains identical. Volunteers assist the eye clinic's staff in all aspects of the eye care programs. They take patient history, test visual acuity, assist the eye doctors with the examination, distribute medication and eyeglasses prescribed by the eye doctors, provide eye health education in the villages and schools, and help with the coordination of patient surgeries. Volunteers also have an opportunity to observe the surgeries provided at the eye clinic. The previously blind patients leave clinic after surgery with restored sight.

A recent Unite For Sight medical student volunteer in Ghana wrote: "I can honestly say that everything I learned in 3 years of medical school paled in comparison to the 3 week experience I had in Accra (Ghana) in October 2007 as part of Unite For Sight. The program provides volunteers with a unique and hands-on involvement - being able to help out to the level of your training and comfort. My experience taught me that Ghanaian people are the friendliest people I have interacted with anywhere in the world, that ordinary people involved with Unite For Sight are making extraordinary differences, and that sitting in a classroom receiving a world-class education cannot match real life experiences while volunteering."--Varun Verma, UMDNJ Medical Student, Unite For Sight Volunteer in Accra, Ghana

An MPH student volunteer in India wrote: "The time I spent in Chennai, India as a Unite for Sight Volunteer was a magical experience. Our time with the Uma Eye Clinic gave us great insight to the vulnerable populations of Chennai and the realization that millions of others around India share the same situation. Working with school children and the elderly in isolated towns was like experiencing all my public health courses first hand. Instead of seeing a power point show of their lives, I was right there in their homes, eating traditional Southern Indian meals next to locals. I look back upon my short time in India and greatly want to return and have a career with vision care that will allow me to work with similar populations of people. ." --- David Murakami, MPH, Boston University School of Public Health, Unite for Sight Volunteer, Chennai, India

While non-eye care professionals assist local Ghanaian and Indian ophthalmic staff, volunteer optometrists and ophthalmologists apply their skills and training to provide eye care to the patients alongside the local eye doctors. Ophthalmologists also provide surgical care to the patients screened by Unite For Sight's programs.

What do Unite For Sight volunteers do?

  • Hands-On Clinical Service: Assist eye doctors in rural villages, refugee camps, and slums in Ghana, India, and Honduras
  • Community-Based Outreach Programs: Local eye doctors and Unite For Sight volunteers work together to provide eye care for patients living in extreme poverty
  • Effective and Sustainable: Volunteers are immersed in effective, sustainable international health and development programs
  • See Results: Volunteers immediately see the joy on patients' faces when their sight is restored after years of blindness
  • Entrepreneurial Volunteering: Volunteers are encouraged to be proactive and entrepreneurial to develop their own projects and programs that dovetail with Unite For Sight's outreach programs

I am an optometrist or ophthalmologist. What will I do?

Volunteer optometrists and ophthalmologists apply their skills and training to provide eye care to the patients alongside the local eye doctors. Optometrists share knowledge and skills with local optometrists and ophthalmic nurses, while ophthalmologists provide surgical training and skills transfer to local ophthalmologists.

What is the impact of Unite For Sight volunteers?

With the assistance of volunteers like you, Unite For Sight restored sight to 10,062 patients and provided eye care to 300,000 people in 2006 and 2007. During 2008, Unite For Sight will provide eye care to 200,000 more patients while coordinating and funding an additional 7,000 sight-restoring surgeries. Our volunteers have an enormous and lasting impact on patients and communities.

Will I be able to work closely with the local community?

Yes! As a volunteer, you will work daily with local ophthalmic nurses, optometrists, and ophthalmologists at the eye clinics. You will accompany the local ophthalmic staff into the remote rural villages, slums, and refugee camps, to provide eye care for the communities living in extreme poverty. You will have a culturally immersive experience, as described by Unite For Sight volunteer Joshua Ford on a CNN segment: From Small Town To Big Change

What is high impact entrepreneurial volunteering?

Unite For Sight motivates and encourages volunteers to be proactive and entrepreneurial, which enables them to make real, lasting change. Unite For Sight's volunteers are deeply involved and invested in being part of a high impact solution to preventable eye disease. While the volunteers are involved in incredible outreach programs that provide eye care to thousands globally every day, they also develop their own projects and programs that dovetail with Unite For Sight's outreach programs. The diverse talents, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit of Unite For Sight's volunteers help to develop and hone new approaches to the urgent preventable and curable eye care problems that afflict more than 36 million people worldwide.

While all volunteers do not develop and implement their own entrepreneurial ideas while volunteering with Unite For Sight, every volunteer is engaged in Unite For Sight's commitment to create real change. All volunteers provide support and assistance to ophthalmologists and eye clinics in developing countries, fundraise to restore sight to blind patients living in extreme poverty, transport eyeglasses and medical supplies to eye clinics, and raise awareness in their home communities about the urgent problem of preventable blindness.

You can read about examples of Unite For Sight's entrepreneurial volunteers at http://www.uniteforsight.org/volunteer-abroad/entrepreneurial-volunteering

What are the Unite For Sight volunteer requirements?

Our priority is to ensure that Unite For Sight volunteers make a high impact difference while participating abroad. Our research, experience, and evaluation has enabled us to develop a highly successful pre-service training and orientation process that ensures that volunteers are fully prepared to contribute to the success of the Unite For Sight programs. The work of volunteers is vitally important, and the result of their work is profound.

The Importance of Preparation: The Perspective of Two Volunteers - "I am very impressed with how Unite For Sight prepares their volunteers and has such a good rapport with their organizations that they work with. I like how Unite For Sight is very professional and prepared to help you in every way possible. They thought of almost everything and anything that could affect you while on your trip and prepared you for every situation (through readings, online videos, and other training). In turn, this made for such a wonderful experience during my two weeks."--Nicholas Aurelio

"I loved how the Unite for Sight program guided you through the whole process of becoming a volunteer. I appreciated the deadlines, for it gave me solid timeline with which to work. On top of that, I was glad that there were readings on cultural competency, health care, the anatomy and physiology of the eye, and the numerous pathologies of the eye. Without all these required readings and videos, I would have gone in blind to Patna. However, because I was able to get a general understanding of what my stay in Patna would be like, what work was required of me, and how to interact with patients, I felt more at ease while I was actually volunteering. My favorite requirement was the one where I had to go and shadow an ophthalmologist. I learned so much more about the eye than I could have just from reading and watching videos. I was able to attain actual experience on how to establish a relationship with the patient and how to proceed in taking down a patient's history and visual acuity. Without the requirements, I would not have been as effective of a volunteer as I was because of all the knowledge I gained beforehand."

Easy-To-Use Personal Volunteer Login Page: Unite For Sight provides an easy-to-use personal volunteer login page so that volunteers can keep track of their pre-service progress and access all relevant program-specific details and materials, program manuals, phone numbers, important links, as well as email addresses of their fellow volunteers and email addresses of alumni volunteers.

  1. Eye Training: Standard volunteers (those who are not eye care professionals) complete a series of steps to learn standardized knowledge about eye disease, eye anatomy, and eye health. Volunteers begin by completing an Online Eye Health Course. The volunteers also must be trained by an eye doctor in their local community to screen for cataracts, recognize various eye diseases, and learn about eye anatomy and eye health. The training session must include 2-3 days working with an optometrist or ophthalmologist, and volunteers are given a list of skills that they should learn during the training. Volunteers coordinate their training with a local eye doctor, which can be done at either a private eye doctor's office, or at a university department of ophthalmology or optometry.
  2. Cultural Competency, International Volunteerism, Ethics, and Community Eye Care: Volunteers view cultural competency videos. They also read assigned journal articles and watch short videos about international volunteerism, professionalism, ethics, and community eye care.
  3. Program-Specific Videos: Volunteers watch short online videos about the program site where they will be volunteering. These videos include videotaped discussions with past volunteer participants talking about their experience and day-to-day activities abroad, as well as their personalized advice to future volunteers.
  4. Insurance: Volunteers are required to purchase security and medical assistance insurance, as well as medical expense reimbursement insurance, through International SOS.
  5. Passport, VISA, Vaccinations: Receive a Passport and VISA, and get vaccinations and a physical exam. Volunteers are required to receive all necessary vaccinations and malaria prophylaxis for travel in accordance with The Travelers' Health Report from the National Center of Infectious Diseases of the Centers for Disease Control
  6. Obtain Eyeglasses: Volunteers obtain 300-500 eyeglasses for donation to the partner eye clinic in the destination country. Eyeglasses can be shipped directly to the volunteers by postal mail if ordered from an organization such as PRVAIL (U.S.-based volunteers), New Eyes For The Needy (U.S.-based volunteers) Lion's Club (Canada-based volunteers, Australia-based volunteers, and others), or other similar organizations worldwide. After receiving the glasses in the mail, volunteers pack the collection of eyeglasses into their suitcase when traveling to their program site. These eyeglasses are distributed to patients by the eye clinic where the volunteer participates. Upon acceptance to the Unite For Sight program, volunteers receive detailed instructions for obtaining eyeglasses.
  7. Fundraise (100% provides eye care to patients): All volunteers raise at least $1500 for Unite For Sight's international eye care programs, except professionals (fully licensed and practicing optometrists and ophthalmologists as well as professional filmmakers and photographers), who fund raise at least $300 for the eye care programs. Fundraising is an essential part of a volunteer's contribution to patients living in extreme poverty. 100% of the fundraising efforts of Unite For Sight's volunteers provide poor patients with free eye care and sight-restoring surgeries. Each cataract surgery costs $50 on average, so every dollar that you fundraise makes a tremendous impact on the lives of children and adults. Additionally, your fundraising efforts help to create public awareness about global eye care needs. Your pre-departure fundraising therefore allows you to make a huge impact before you even go abroad.

    Easy-To-Use Personalized Fundraising Page: To help with fundraising efforts, Unite For Sight creates a personal donation fundraising page for all of its volunteers. Unite For Sight's volunteers are very successful with their fundraising initiatives, and it requires very little of a volunteer's time since they only need to email their fundraising website link to friends and family. As their friends and family submit donations, Unite For Sight automatically records the donations and sends an email to the volunteer as each donation arrives. All donors also receive a receipt for tax purposes, and the donations are tax-deductible to the full extent provided by U.S. law. It usually takes no more than one month for a volunteer to reach the $1500 minimum fundraising amount, and some volunteers even reach the fundraising minimum within 1 week. If a volunteer falls short of the fundraising minimum, they may complete their fundraising requirement by submitting the balance from their personal funds. For example, if they are $100 short of the fundraising requirement, they would submit a personal donation of $100 so that they reach the $1500 minimum.

    Click To View Examples of Volunteer Fundraising Pages


    The Importance of Fundraising: Perspectives of Volunteers and Eye Clinics

    A recent volunteer in Ghana wrote about her fundraising and volunteer experience: "In the surgery room, people were prepped and operated on at amazing efficiency, as the surgery itself took but seven minutes. Seven miraculous minutes was all it took for people to get their sight back. A miracle not only for them, but an eye opener for me, for I had fundraised enough money for 57 of these people to have this chance to regain their sight, a chance they would not have had without the financial support of Unite for Sight. My experience in Ghana was nothing short of amazing. Not only did I get a hands-on experience in the medical field as an undergraduate, but I realized how preventable blindness can be in many developing countries; so preventable that I, a mere college student, could change 57 lives."--Jaci Theis, Bucknell College Student, Unite For Sight Volunteer in Asikuma Breman, Ghana

     

    Ghana volunteer Jackie Madison discusses the impact of fundraising on her Unite For Sight experience.

     

    Ophthalmic nurse Kartee Karloweah discusses the importance of collecting eyeglasses, fundraising, and volunteering to eliminate preventable blindness

    The Key To Successful Fundraising For Unite for Sight

    By Unite For Sight Volunteer Brian Fowler, Medical Student at University of Virginia

    Unite for Sight requires fundraising in the form of eyeglasses and money in order to volunteer abroad. In retrospect, I have realized my fundraising efforts were equally as important to my work in Africa as being in Africa itself. In fact, when I left my two week stint in Africa to return home to Virginia, I realized the money I raised and the glasses I brought with me would be donated and utilized in Africa for at least another month. In essence, my fundraising efforts far outlasted my trip to Africa in regards to time. I cannot express enough the importance of Unite for Sight's fundraising efforts and what they mean to those without access to regular eye care throughout the world. The caring act of connecting people across the world through simple donations should not be underappreciated. One donation that I received was particularly special. A close family friend donated her husband Roger's eyeglasses. Roger had recently passed away from Cancer and she was excited that something of his would help someone halfway across the world. I brought these glasses with me to each village outreach. On my third outreach, one woman told me while crying that she could no longer read the bible. She was truly distraught. She needed the exact prescription of Roger's glasses. After giving her his old reading glasses and realizing she could read, she literally rolled on the floor with laughter and happiness. I was able to take a picture of her in these glasses and send it back to Roger's wife. She printed the picture and keeps it in her office at work. Another man couldn't see because of dense cataracts. Luckily, I saw him after Dr. Clarke surgically removed his cataract. He was truly overjoyed because he could now see with 20/60 vision. The numerous joyful stories I have from my experience in Ghana will be with me forever. Importantly, without Unite for Sight volunteer donations, these stories would not have the same happy ending.

    There are several important steps I followed when I went about fundraising. First, I set a goal for myself so I had something to strive for. Second, I wrote a letter asking friends and families for donations. In this letter, I included Unite for Sight's role in the world, what my function would be as a volunteer, and how important their financial and eyeglass donations are for those who do not have access to eye care. I also outlined in this letter exactly how people could donate to make it as easy as possible for them. Unfortunately, if donating takes a lot of effort on someone's part, they will often not do it. The next and most important step for me was including several people I knew would work hard on fundraising with me. I taught my mom, my wife, and my brother about the efforts of Unite for Sight and how important these donations would be. Then, I gave each of them my letter I'd written and asked them to fundraise with me. First, I asked them to email the fundraising letter to everyone they knew. Second, we made a list of everyone we emailed. We then called every single person who did not respond to the email to request their help. Sometimes this took several phone calls, but in the end most people donated what they could. Next, we began contacting businesses. We started with local optometrists and ophthalmologists. They are often a great source of eyeglasses. We then contacted local restaurants. One restaurant agreed to do a fundraising dinner where 20% of the proceeds went to Unite for Sight. Next we each spoke with our local churches. Sure enough they put out boxes for eyeglass donations and one went as far to take an offering for Unite for Sight.

    In thinking about all of this, these are my key aspects to fundraising:

    1. Be methodical about it.
    2. Expect to have to talk to some people many times.
    3. Expect to hear no's which often can be converted to yes' by explaining to people how even one pair of eyeglasses or $5 can make a difference.
    4. Make the sale- People want to be educated about something first to fully understand the importance of donating. You may feel awkward in doing this sometimes, but the donations raised in the end for people who truly need help far outweighs a temporary feeling.
    5. Use this fundraising project as a means to bring joy to those who are donating in addition to those receiving the donations throughout the world- I created an email grouping of all those who donated and sent them my personal journal and all my pictures from my experience. Many said reading the journal and seeing the pictures of Africa had an impact on the way they view the world.
    6. Last and most important- Involve several friends or family. A committed group can reach far more people than you can by yourself.

What is the minimum and maximum amount of time that I can volunteer?

Volunteers can participate from seven days to multiple months, up to a full year or more. Most of the programs show available dates in 10-day increments. Volunteers can select to participate for 10-days, for example, or they can combine 10-day sessions. If a program has available dates of January 1-10; January 10-20; and January 20-30, a volunteer can select to combine three sessions and participate from January 1-30. Participating for longer periods will not change the pre-departure or participation requirements.

Who is eligible to be a Unite For Sight Volunteer?

Volunteers are 18 years and older, and there is no upper age limit. Volunteers range from undergraduate/college students to medical and optometry students, public health students and professionals, business students, filmmakers and photographers, nurses and nursing students, social workers, physician's assistants, teachers and educators, opticians, optometrists and ophthalmologists.

What if I don't have previous health experience?

Unite For Sight welcomes volunteers who may have little or no previous health experience. Volunteers will receive all necessary training from Unite For Sight so that they are able to assist eye doctors with community eye outreach programs. All volunteers, regardless of their previous level of health experience, will have hands-on clinical involvement and help at the level of their individual level of training and comfort. We also welcome volunteers to participate as photographers and filmmakers.

How am I trained?

Those Unite For Sight volunteers who are not eye care professionals begin by completing Unite For Sight's Online Eye Health Course. Then, they are trained by an eye doctor in their local community to learn about common eye diseases. Volunteers are also trained to screen for operable cataracts and other eye diseases at the partner eye clinic in the country destination.

Training also includes required reading and online video viewing. Volunteers view a Unite for Sight Cultural Competency and Eye Training Video, read journal articles about international volunteerism and community eye health, and also view short online videos about their Unite For Sight program location.

I am a medical student/optometry student, and I already completed basic training in eye care. Am I required to complete additional training for Unite For Sight?

Medical students, optometry students, or others with training in eye care do not need to complete the 2-3 day training program with an optometrist or ophthalmologist. Instead, they may have their clinical instructor sign the Unite For Sight Eye Training Certificate to confirm that the volunteer has learned the skills required of all Unite For Sight volunteers.

When should I apply? What is the application deadline?

There are no application deadlines. The application process has a rolling deadline, and qualified applicants therefore are accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. Programs fill quickly, and we therefore suggest that you apply as soon as possible. We often receive applications for programs one year in advance; those who apply early can coordinate their first choice program location and program dates since all of the programs usually have availability. Our website shows the programs that are currently available and accepting applications, and filled programs are removed from the Program Dates & Locations list as soon as they become unavailable.

How do I apply?

You should submit an application through the online form at http://www.uniteforsight.org/intl_volunteer/intl_volunteer_app.php

How competitive is the application process?

The first qualified applicants are accepted, so we advise applying as soon as you decide that you would like to participate. This will help to insure that you are not closed out of a program of interest. We accept those with quality applications and strong letters of recommendation that indicate that the applicant will be a dedicated and motivated volunteer. Be sure to be thoughtful and honest in your application essay responses. Writing the essays is also a great opportunity to learn more about Unite For Sight and to think about your own interests and ideas about providing quality health care in the developing world.

How do I know which program locations and dates are still available?

Our website shows all of the programs that are currently available and accepting applications, and filled programs are removed from Locations & Dates as they become unavailable.

My friends and I would like to volunteer together in the Unite For Sight program. Can we apply together, or should we submit separate applications?

Each applicant for a Unite For Sight program is required to submit their own application. Those applying to participate together should indicate identical program dates and locations on their applications, and they can also include on their application the name(s) of the others in their group. Subject to availability and everyone's individual acceptance into the program, you and your friends would be placed together.

Can I bring my son or daughter? Can families participate together?

We can sometimes make special arrangements for an adult parent to bring a son or daughter who is at least 15 years old. Both the adult parent and the child are required to submit separate applications and are required to be individually accepted to the program. The family members can be placed together in the same program. All participants are also required to complete the pre-departure requirements and participate fully in the Unite For Sight program.

I am retired. Am I eligible to participate?

Yes! We recognize and value the knowledge and skills offered by volunteers who are retired and very much welcome and encourage their participation.

What are the living and lodging costs involved?

Please check the individual programs in the Locations & Dates section of the website for the exact living and lodging expenses that you will incur while abroad. Volunteers pay for their own airfare, travel, VISA, immunizations, insurance, and living expenses. Unite For Sight does not have a program fee, and no funds for travel, lodging, or living expenses are paid directly to Unite For Sight.

Does Unite For Sight have an administrative "program fee"?

No. Unite For Sight does not have an administrative program fee and does not charge volunteers to participate in the program. Unite For Sight operates in a very cost-effective manner so that the organization does not need to pass along typical administrative and volunteer coordination expenses to its volunteers. After completing the Unite For Sight program, volunteers will have submitted no personal funds to Unite For Sight, unless they choose to personally donate.

What is the cost of airfare?

Airfare varies based on your starting location, destination location, and the time of year. You can determine the flight cost by going to a travel website such as FlyForGood, Expedia, Orbitz, Travelocity, FlyCheapAbroad or by going directly to the websites of airlines. Volunteers participating in Ghana fly into Accra (ACC). Those participating in New Delhi will fly into the New Delhi airport, while those participating in Chennai will fly into the Chennai airport. Volunteers participating in Bihar, Jodhpur, and Orissa, first fly into the New Delhi international airport before taking a connecting flight to a local airport.

How do I fund my travel?

Unite For Sight suggests that students are funded through university fellowships. You can learn about fellowship options by contacting your international fellowship office, advisors, or university departments.

Yale University, Mount Holyoke College, and University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have special fully funded fellowships available specifically for Unite For Sight volunteers who are students at Yale, Mount Holyoke, and University of Pennsylvania. Additionally, many medical schools offer funding to their students if they participate in the Unite For Sight program as a clinical rotation/medical elective.

Other options for students and non-students include sponsorship by businesses, organizations, or family members.

What is the cost of the required International SOS medical assistance and security coverage insurance?

The insurance coverage price varies based on the volunteer's length of time abroad. For example, a 10-day period of insurance coverage costs $80 and a 1-month period of insurance coverage costs $180.

After being accepted to a Unite For Sight program, how do I confirm my intent to participate?

Upon acceptance to the program, volunteers are required to submit a reimbursable deposit to confirm their commitment and to hold their place in the program. The deposit is fully reimbursed after a volunteer successfully completes the Unite For Sight program. Therefore, after completing the Unite For Sight program, volunteers will have submitted no personal funds to Unite For Sight, unless they choose to personally donate. The reimbursable deposit insures that all confirmed volunteers will follow through with their commitment to Unite For Sight by participating in the program as planned, and that they will complete their pre-departure requirements.

What are the benefits of volunteering?

Unite For Sight provides an amazing opportunity to make a significant, meaningful, tangible impact in the lives of children and adults worldwide. You will immediately see the joys on people's faces when their sight is restored after years of blindness. You will see children who are thrilled to receive their first pair of eyeglasses, and you will see elderly adults truly grateful for reading glasses so that they can read and sew. These memories will last a lifetime.

You will reduce all of the barriers to health care, including financial, transportation, and education hindrances. All patients with eye disease will be brought to the partner eye clinic for surgery, which is funded by Unite For Sight.

In addition to helping the community, you will also be in a position to witness and draw your own conclusions about the failures and inequities of global health systems. It will broaden your view of what works, and what role you can have to insure a health system that works for everyone and that leaves no person blind in the future. We believe that anyone can become part of a global solution.

You will also have the opportunity to live in another culture and develop leadership and career skills. Unite For Sight provides certificates to volunteers and also awards dedicated, motivated, skilled volunteers with special awards.

How many other volunteers will be in my program?

The number of volunteers in each program varies based on program location and program dates. The maximum number of volunteers at a particular site for any time period ranges from 2 volunteers to 14 volunteers, and the maximum number of volunteers selected depends on the eye clinic's request and needs. Volunteers have access to the names and email addresses of the other volunteers participating with them at their program location and during their program dates.

Can I see videos of Unite For Sight programs?

Yes! We have many online video presentations, ranging from films produced in Ghana and India to online lecture presentations by Unite For Sight's partner ophthalmologists and eye clinic staff. We also have many online presentations by previous Unite For Sight volunteers. Videos for each program site can be seen online in the Videos section.

Those interested in participating in India are especially encouraged to view the film An Eye Opener in India

Those who would like to volunteer in Ghana are urged to view a film about the impact of Unite For Sight's programs in Ghana

All applicants are required to view a 20-minute Question & Answer session by Unite For Sight's Ghanaian and Indian ophthalmologist partners

What do the medical and university communities say about Unite For Sight volunteer experiences?

What is a typical day like?

Unite For Sight volunteers typically work 8 hours/day for 5-6 days/week. Volunteers relax on days off, and many participate in cultural events and spend a lot of time getting to know the people in the community where they are working.

I'm a filmmaker, photographer, or student of film/photography. What can I do to help?

Unite For Sight filmmaker and photographer volunteers document the voices of patients who receive sight-restoring eye care through Unite For Sight programs. The videos and photos promote awareness and information about global eye care needs and also demonstrate the commitment and dedication of Unite For Sight's local partner eye doctors who work tirelessly to provide eye care to those living in extreme poverty.

Volunteers work with Unite For Sight to develop special film and photo projects for advocacy purposes. The opportunity allows students, filmmakers, and photographers an opportunity to learn about development issues while making a significant impact.

Those who apply and are accepted as film/photographer volunteers would participate exclusively as photographers or filmmakers. If a photographer or filmmaker is also interested in participating as standard volunteers, they should apply and be accepted as a "Standard Volunteer" so that they can participate in all aspects of the Unite For Sight programs, including as filmmakers or photographers. To participate as a "Standard Volunteer", the filmmaker or photographer volunteer does not need any previous health experience. After acceptance, the volunteer would pursue the standard pre-departure training required of all standard volunteers, which includes an online eye health course and 2-3 days of shadowing/training by an optometrist or ophthalmologist. If participating solely as a photographer or filmmaker volunteer, the eye training is not required.

I am not from the US. Am I eligible to participate?

YES! Unite For Sight's volunteers come from countries throughout the world, including the United States, Canada, Denmark, England, Ireland, Italy, France, Germany, Norway, Israel, Singapore, Japan, India, United Arab Emirates, and Australia. We welcome people from any country to apply.

I am planning a Gap Year. Can I participate?

Yes! Unite For Sight welcomes students between high school and college to participate in the Unite For Sight programs for short- or long- term placements. The programs in Chennai (India), Bihar (India), and Accra (Ghana) are especially suitable for Gap Year participants.

Where will I stay?

Unite For Sight's eye clinic partners arrange for the volunteer accommodations in hospital dormitories, guest houses, or local hotels. Two of Unite For Sight's programs involve lodging with a family of physicians from the eye clinic. Please read the program site details to learn about the lodging location for your desired internship. Volunteers are required to lodge in the Program Site accommodations.

Will I have access to a phone while abroad?

Yes. Unite For Sight provides a cell phone to each volunteer. Free minutes are provided to volunteers for use in case of an emergency. Volunteers may also purchase extra minutes if they would like to use the cell phone for personal purposes.

Will I be picked up from the airport?

Yes. Unite For Sight's partner eye clinics and coordinators arrange for each volunteer's pickup from the airport.

Will everyone speak English?

The doctors and Unite for Sight Coordinators will all be fluent in English. In Ghana, the official language is English. In India, the middle and upper class population receive all of their schooling in English. However, those in rural villages with little access to education and health care will usually speak only local languages. If you do not have knowledge of the local language, the doctors, coordinators, or translators will assist you with communication.

As Pradeep Mettu, Unite For Sight Volunteer in Chennai, India, wrote about his experience: "The language barrier ultimately made the experience even more meaningful. Since communication was always an issue, I learned a great deal about the human touch and the intangibles that create a universal language between the health care provider and the patient."

Will I need a VISA?

Depending on your country of citizenship, you will most likely need a VISA in order to enter Ghana and India. Volunteers from the U.S. and Canada, for example, will need a VISA. Obtaining a VISA involves a basic paper application process to the Ghanaian or Indian Embassy in the volunteer's home country. The VISA is stamped onto the volunteer's Passport by the Ghanaian or Indian Embassy.

Can I communicate with the eye clinic before I begin my program?

Yes! In fact, all accepted volunteers are required to introduce themselves by email to the eye clinic where they will be volunteering. The eye clinic coordinators and ophthalmologists respond to each volunteer's introductory email, and the clinic and volunteer continue to be in contact with each other prior to the volunteer's travel abroad.

In addition to hands-on service and clinical opportunities while abroad, what other educational experiences are afforded to volunteers?

Volunteers begin by completing an Online Eye Health Course and receiving 2-3 days of ophthalmic training by an eye doctor in their home community. They also have extensive and comprehensive pre-departure orientation materials that include readings and online videos about cultural competency, international volunteerism, and international eye care. Volunteers also watch films and videos about their program site location. Prior to their travel abroad, volunteers have therefore already learned extensive knowledge about international eye care and service, and they are well prepared to make a significant impact with the eye clinic abroad.

Upon arriving abroad, volunteers receive orientation from the eye clinic and learn more about eye diseases that are endemic to the program location. They then proceed to work 5-6 days per week with the partner eye clinic to provide eye care for those living in extreme poverty.

I will be applying for medical school while I'm abroad with the Unite For Sight program. Will I have internet access so that I can submit my applications online?

Yes, many volunteers work on their medical school applications during evenings and weekends while participating in the Unite For Sight program. The locations with the best internet access are Chennai, New Delhi, Bihar, and Accra, with Chennai having the best and most reliable internet access on a daily basis. You can access the internet from all other program sites as well (Orissa, Jodhpur, Tamale, and Asikuma Breman), but the internet is simply not as reliable or accessible on a daily basis.

Can I receive academic credit?

Yes, Unite For Sight will complete necessary paper work so that volunteers can receive academic credit. Please read about coordinating academic credit on the website http://www.uniteforsight.org/volunteer-abroad/academic-credit

Can I pursue the Unite For Sight program as a medical elective/clinical rotation?

Each year, many medical students pursue a Unite For Sight program as a medical elective. We will complete all necessary paperwork required by your medical school.

Can I pursue the Unite For Sight program as a public health school practicum?

Yes. We often have MPH students pursue the Unite For Sight program in order to fulfill their practicum/field experience requirement. Unite For Sight will complete all necessary paperwork for a volunteer's university.

Can I do research as a Unite For Sight volunteer?

Yes. Medical students and other graduate students are especially encouraged to pursue research projects. Undergraduates also have an opportunity to pursue research. Pursuing a research project requires a student to have a faculty mentor at their home university, and IRB approval is also required. Those interested in research are urged to watch Kristin Ow's video about pursuing research as a Unite For Sight volunteer.

Volunteers interested in pursuing a research project should first apply for the Unite For Sight program and be accepted as a Unite For Sight volunteer. You will then work with your faculty mentor at your university and with Unite For Sight to develop your research project. In your application to the Unite For Sight program, please discuss your preliminary interest in pursuing a research project.

I'm a student at Yale University. What is the Yale UCS/Unite For Sight internship?

Unite For Sight welcomes volunteers from all countries and universities worldwide. Yale Undergraduate Career Services has a special program that works annually to support Yale undergraduate students in their volunteer programs with Unite For Sight. If you are a Yale student and would like to qualify for the UCS Unite For Sight-Yale internship, Yale requires that you volunteer for at least 8 weeks during the summer. The UCS internship may make you eligible for Yale's ISA funding. If you are a Yale student and prefer not to volunteer for 8 weeks, you can apply to be a standard Unite For Sight volunteer for 7 days or more.

Can I pursue the Unite For Sight program as part of my ophthalmology residency program?

Yes! We have many ophthalmology residents who pursue the Unite For Sight programs in order to gain exposure to providing eye care to patients living in extreme poverty. Ophthalmology residents have an opportunity in Bihar and in Chennai, India, to receive surgical training in SICS and Phaco. They also participate in rural villages near Bihar and Chennai to provide on-site exams, diagnosis, medication, and eyeglasses. Ophthalmology residents may also participate in the Ghana programs, where they would work in the rural villages to provide eye care. Surgical training programs are not provided at Unite For Sight's Ghana eye clinic partners, and residents would therefore only be able to perform surgery on patients through the established training programs in Bihar, India, or in Chennai, India.

Where can I learn about the magnitude of eye care needs in developing countries?

Unite For Sight compiled statistics about eye care needs, which you can see at http://uniteforsight.org/eye_stats.php By participating in Unite For Sight's programs, you will be able to see the reality of these numbers.

Who should I contact if I have other questions?

Send an email to volunteers@uniteforsight.org

Volunteer Abroad

As featured weekly on
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Because of the context in which I encountered the profound need, I did not come away with a sense of hopelessness or fatalism. Rather, I came away with the strong sense that it was necessary for me, like the Sinha family of ophthalmologists, to take active part in fixing the problems that I had seen. Indeed, it is impossible to spend two weeks with the Sinha family without coming to understand that a single, motivated person is absolutely capable of changing the world.
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—Emily Abrash, Unite For Sight Volunteer in India