Preventable blindness caused by cataracts and uncorrected refractive errors remains a significant community health problem throughout rural Africa. Eye conditions in rural regions are disproportionately common due to factors such as dietary deficiencies, intense UV exposure near the equator, poor sanitation exacerbated by drought, and a severe shortage of eye care professionals. Many communities lack access to timely eye care services.
Since 2011, our organization, in collaboration with Visió Sense Fronteres , has been conducting free cataract surgeries in impoverished and rural areas of Sub-Saharan Africa. The cataract camps bring together ophthalmologists, optometrists, and nurses from various countries, particularly Spain, who volunteer their expertise to reach underserved populations in slums and remote tribal communities. The camps collaborate with local medical and community service organizations to ensure that the most vulnerable individuals receive critical care.
In 2024, in parallel to the cataract camps and at the request of Visió Sense Fronteres , CWEGE launched a vocational training project for rural community members, particularly women, in the early detection of eye conditions. Training community members as eye care specialists in the detection and referral of vision problems can make a lasting impact in reducing preventable blindness by catching eye conditions early and improving quality of life in underserved regions.
The Amrita Eye Care Champions course was co-designed by Ammachi Labs, CWEGE and Visió Sense Fronteres to train community health volunteers. Using Ammachi labs expertise in digital learning and CWEGE’S success with life enrichment education, and Visió Sense Fronteres ocular care guidance, a curriculum was designed for low literate populations. A pilot of the course was conducted in October 2024 followed by refinements of the curriculum and the creation of a 12 animated video series, which now forms the foundation of the curriculum. In October 2025, the revised course debuted as a Train the Trainers course for 32 optometry students at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology in Kakamega Kenya. These 32 students, as part of their community practice course, will each train 20 village community health volunteers in eye care. A key objective of the course is to build a scalable and sustainable framework for delivering the curriculum. Utilizing Ammachi labs, Skillelabs platform, the eye care class participants can complete the curriculum digitally on smartphones, tablets, or laptops making the training globally accessible. The curriculum will be taught in tandem with each cataract camp sponsored by Visió Sense Fronteres in 9 countries of Africa and Latin America empowering individuals not only with skills but with the vision for a healthier tomorrow.
Amrita Eye Care Champions Training Empowers Community Health Leaders in Honduras
From February 2 to February 4, 2026, an inspiring Amrita Eye Care Champions training program was conducted in Honduras, Central America, empowering grassroots health promoters to lead community-based eye care initiatives.
Twenty-four dedicated health promoters traveled from remote villages, leaving their families behind for three days to participate in the intensive training. The program aimed to prepare participants to become leaders in community eye health, women’s empowerment, and digital literacy, equipping them with the knowledge and tools needed to improve access to vision care in underserved regions.
The training sessions ran daily from 8 AM to 8 PM, creating a dynamic learning environment where participants went far beyond conventional classroom study. Teachers, musicians, caregivers, and community volunteers experienced hands-on learning with a digital health application for the first time, gaining the skills needed to conduct vision screenings in communities where access to professional eye care is limited.
Despite being new to digital platforms, the participants demonstrated remarkable enthusiasm and commitment. Many even requested extended 12-hour training sessions to maximize their learning before returning to their remote communities. Their determination highlighted the urgent need for accessible eye care and the strong motivation of community leaders to serve their villages.
A powerful highlight of the program was the opportunity for trainees to support live eye examinations during the Embracing the World Cataract Camp in San Lorenzo. Witnessing firsthand the life-changing impact of accessible eye care deeply inspired the participants, reinforcing the importance of their role as community champions.
The transformation of the participants—from trainees to confident Amrita Eye Care Champions—was a defining moment of the program, demonstrating the power of community-driven healthcare initiatives.
The organizers extended sincere gratitude to Dra. Lesny Fuentes and the team at Cáritas de Honduras (Diocese of Choluteca) for their outstanding coordination and logistical support. Appreciation was also expressed to the AMMACHI Labs team at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Amritapuri Campus, for providing critical technical assistance throughout the training.
Special thanks were given to project partners Dr. Isabel Signes, Visió Sense Fronteres, and Club Rotario Choluteca, whose collaboration played a vital role in bringing this impactful initiative to reality.
Through initiatives like the Amrita Eye Care Champions program, communities are empowered to take ownership of their health systems—ensuring that even the most remote populations gain access to essential eye care services.
