Please find all our trip reports here.
January 2023 - Oromia Region
Our volunteers and I have recently returned from Ethiopia following a very successful sight restoring four week...Read more
January 2019 - Metehara, Afar Region
Metehara is a town in central Ethiopia in the Oromia Region, four hours drive from the capital Addis Ababa. It’s inhabitants are mainly Afar and Somali clans...Read more
April 2018 - Ginir, Ethiopia
With great excitement we travelled to Ethiopia to facilitate our 11th year of free sight restoring cataract surgery to the people living in rural Ginir.....Read more
February 2017 - Shambu, Ethiopia
Our ten year anniversary campaign was full of emotional highs and lows. What should have been a successful four week campaign to Shambu and Ginnir in the Oromia Region turned into a battle again....Read more
March 2016 - Dalifaghi, Afar Region
Sunday 13 March, the EFA team departed Addis at 5.30am for the 12 hour road trip to Semera. The next day we drove another 10 hours to Dalifaghi via Logiya to collect our equipment....Read more
January 2015 - Awash & Kelwan, Afar Region
Sunday 18 January, saw the first Team on the way to Awash, 217 kms from Addis along the main road to Djibouti. Our hotel was approx 1 km walk to the Health Centre where we found that 250 people had already been registered hoping to receive surgery.....Read more
January 2014 - Harar / Dubti
Eight self funding volunteers from Australia travelled to Ethiopia to participate in Eyes for Africa’s (EFA) two week free sight restoring campaign at Jugal Hospital in Harar, screening 1,500 patients from surrounding, outlying areas of the city.... Read more Photos from trip
October 2013 - Amhara Region
DIB BAHIR is located in the low lands of the Simeon Mountains, 18 km from Debark. The elevation is 1950m, the climate is sub-tropical with an average October temperature of 20° and cold at night. The population is said to be approximately 5,000. ... Read more
January 2013 - Harar / Afar
Eyes For Africa landed in Addis Ababa on December 28, 2012. After collecting our equipment and supplies we had stored at Beyond The Orphanage, the volunteers flew to Dire Dawa and then to Harar by road. Volunteers Gary Holt and his wife Semira Ahmed accompanied our supplies and equipment in the truck ... Read more Photos from trip
October 2012 - Jinka / Turmi / Ambaras
The Eyes For Africa Team for Jinka and Turmi had all arrived in Addis Ababa by Oct 13. Team Leader Julie Tyers, Finance Manager Michael van Ewijk and Photographer Kerry Prior arrived two days earlier to collect our stored equipment and supplies and purchase what was still needed for the three planned clinics. A bus and driver from Ethiopian Quadrants in Addis had been arranged beforehand from Austalia....Read more Photos from trip
January 2012 - Harar Clinic / Mizan Clinic
Despite all efforts and reassurances by the Harar Regional Health Bureau and Jugal Hospital Manager that EFA’s medical supplies and equipment would be cleared through Customs in Addis Ababa and ready upon our arrival, this did not occur.
Fortunately, we had some left over supplies from our previous trip stored in Addis Ababa and were able to purchase extra pharmaceuticals locally which meant we could start our campaign on time .. Read more Photos from trip
2012 - Update on our burns patient Ayne
During EFA's January 2012 trip, Dr Abu Beyene arranged for Ayne to consult with Dr Eriksen at the Children's Burns Care Foundation (CBCF) based at the Myungsung Christian Medical Center (Korean Hospital) in Addis Ababa. Dr Eriksen has since performed several operations on Ayne's face to build new eyelids to protect what little sight she has left in her left eye, and to lessen the visual impact of her sightless right eye. Australian Oculist, Dr Patrick Loyer, had kindly donated a prosthesis that he designed and built in Australia for Ayne's right eye after seeing her photo. Dr Loyer instructed Julie Tyers in how to fit the prosthesis but unfortunately Ayne's lower lid will require further surgery to enable the prosthesis to be fitted. The prosthesis was left with Dr Eriksen until January 2013 and plans are now under way for the UK ‘Face of Africa’ Team to review Ayne for further surgery when they visit CBCF in January 2013. If further surgery is appropriate, a private Australian donor will provide the necessary finance.
June 2011 - Mizan Teferi
Elizabeth Glatz has just returned from Africa on a trip she describes as "the experience of a lifetime." The CERA orthoptist joined a team of five medical professionals traveling to a remote Ethiopian village where they provided free operations for people with eye disease. "The town we visited, Mizan Teferi, is very isolated, the closest eye care facility being more than 200km away via a dirt road," Elizabeth said. Read more.. Photos from trip
2011 - Harar
Eyes For Africa visit to Harar succeeded in performed 193 cataract surgeries. Harar - is famous for the way Christians and Muslims have lived in harmony for hundreds of years.’ It’s the only place where you'll find a church and a mosque side by side - it's listed by UNESCO for this reason. The E.F.A. team treated a range of people from the 95-year-old village woman to the seven-year-old girl who will now be able to attend school for the first time. One of the highlights was the successful treatment of nine-year-old boy with bilateral cataracts. The day following surgery he was asked what he could see. He answered that he could see his mother for the first time! Newsletter Report & Read Dawn Andrew's report...
May 2010 - Letter from Dr.Mohammed Mawi , Jugal Hospital Manager ( 21st May, 2010)
I would like to express my admiration and thanks on behalf of Harari people and those who will regain their sight by cataract surgery campaign in Jugal Hospital which is the first national Hospital in Ethiopia and located in UNESCO heritage town of Harar. I understood The success Story of Eye For Africa in Ethiopia by Visiting your wave site.and we will do unreserved effort for the success of the campaign in our Hospital .till now we disseminated about the campaign by local mass Media radio and started registering and screening. we attained support from our Hospital Governing board (all are government officials), management committee and our Ophthalmologist. I attached about our ophthalmic activity, front view photo of Jugal Hospital and item we have and don't have.
Finally I thank again for choosing our Hospital and Harar.
Dr.Mohammed Mawi , Jugal Hospital Manager
May 2009 - Southern Omo Valley Ethiopia.
Over 1000 people living in remote and rural areas of Ethiopia were screened for eye complaints and given free glasses or cataract surgery to restore their vision. No eye care has been given in this area before due to the remoteness. Local and international doctors ,optometrists, nurses Alcon rep, photographer and volunteers participated to achieve an outstanding result of over 200 cataract surgeries in 10 days, including 48 trichiasis surgeries due to Trachoma.We travelled neally 700 kms in 2 days by truck to Jinka and Turmi, over very remote and rough terrain to treat people from the Ari, Bume,Mursi, Hamar,Nyangatom ,Dassanech and Karo tribes. Thankyou to Lions Recycle for Sight Australia for donating sunnies, The Optical Superstore for donating frames,Carl Zeiss vision for optical lenses,Device technology, design for vision, Alcon for the loan of phaco emulsification machine , and Zeiss for the loan of the portable microscope. Donations from fundraising and generosity of the Australian public has made this campaign a success. Eyes for Africa has now restored sight to over 600 people since 2007.
November 2007 - Butajira, Ethiopia
Video from trip In November 2007 Bruce (my brother, official photographer) and I travelled to Butajira, Ethiopia for the initial eyes for Africa project. We travelled by car 135km south from Addis the capital, along an asphalt road to Butajira. Along the way we passed traditional houses called tukuls, made from straw and sticks with mud floors, and crops of maize and tef. The weather was hot during the day and cooler at night.
We were greeted at the Grarbet Institution by Prof Redda and Mr Teshome, the coordinators of the project on ground. They had already accommodated 150 patients into the compound. The patients stayed with family until their turn for sight restoring cataract surgery. Their cooks provided njerra, vegie dishes, bread and water.
Every day Dr Fitsum operated on 20-30 patients until the target of 200 was reached. Dr Asfaw in Ziway helped by performing 30 of these. The nurses were very kind and caring to the patients who were grateful of our efforts to restore their sight. We were made very welcome and enjoyed the hospitality from everyone.
The local outreach nurses planned to visit each patient in one week and one month for check up.
We were overwhelmed by the gratitude of the patients for the chance to regain their sight. We are now planning for our return to Butajira and Omo valley in January 2009 where no surgeries have been performed. Only A$20 is needed to restore eyesight.