Child First Vision Project
How can I help?
You have the opportunity of a lifetime…to provide life-changing eye and vision care to thousands of people in need.
The Plan:
Our plan is to build a small Eye Hospital in Bhakundebesi Village, in the Kavre District of Nepal, located in the area most severely damaged by the massive Nepal earthquake in 2015. This will be a “satellite” eye hospital facility, performing essential ophthalmic services including comprehensive ophthalmic examinations and treatment, OPD procedures, and refraction. The facility will include an optical dispensary and pharmacy, enabling comprehensive “one stop” treatment of many common eye and vision problems. This new Dooley Intermed sponsored facility will provide vital eye care to a large marginalized population of men, women and children, year after year, serving an area in great need.
We are working in partnership with the Reiyukai Eiko Masunaga Eye Hospital (REMEH), located in Banepa, Kavre District, Nepal. This Eye Hospital is located in the same general area as the Dooley Intermed supported Orphanage Eco-Home in Panauti. By creating a much-needed satellite eye facility in the remote Bhakundebesi Village, centrally located near the Kavre and Sindhupalchak areas, we can begin the life-changing work of preventing blindness and restoring vision, helping thousands of people in need.
The Need:
Nepal is one of the 20 poorest countries in the world. In 2015, Nepal suffered a devastating earthquake resulting in massive destruction with over 9,000 people killed and 22,000 injured. Hundreds of thousands were left homeless, and entire villages were destroyed. The epicenter of the earthquake damage was in the Kavre and Sindhupalchak areas, among the poorest areas in the entire country. This is an area depending primarily on subsistence agriculture, with very limited medical and social services including just one district hospital and a handful of modest health posts.
The Cost:
We have carefully estimated the all-in cost of building this facility at $50,000 USD, remarkably inexpensive given the enormous benefit to thousands of people. The facility has been designed to minimize costs while maximizing functionality. We have already raised more than half of the needed funds.
The required land is being donated by the local government without cost, recognizing the great need for eye care in the area.
Once completed, the facility will be professionally staffed with ongoing operations funded entirely by REMEH. Patients in need will receive care regardless of their ability to pay, with an emphasis on providing free-of-cost care, especially to children and impoverished villagers.