Where We Aim to Work

Somalia. Ethiopia. Kenya.

Aisha Eyecare is keeping its planned geographic focus narrow. We want to understand local needs, work with qualified professionals and strengthen existing eye-care pathways rather than arrive with a one-size-fits-all programme.

Why Somalia matters to Aisha Eyecare

Somalia is a natural priority for the charity. Beyond the founder’s family connection to the region, there is a practical eye-health case: access to trained professionals and comprehensive services remains limited in many communities.

WHO reported in 2025 that eye care receives limited attention and that some rural communities have never had their eyes examined. It also highlighted an important positive change: Somalia’s first optometry training programme produced its first graduates in 2024, while national eye-health planning is being developed with WHO and the Ministry of Health.

What we would aim to build towards

Community and school screening delivered with qualified local professionals.
Affordable or funded prescription glasses for patients who cannot afford them.
Clear referral routes for glaucoma, cataract and other conditions requiring specialist care.
Public awareness in Somali on eye checks, childhood vision problems and glaucoma.
Support for equipment, training and continuing professional development where local partners identify a genuine gap.
Long-term scholarship or training support for future optometrists, ophthalmologists and other eye-care professionals.

Why Ethiopia is part of the focus

Ethiopia combines a very large population with significant rural access challenges. Sightsavers notes shortages of essential health resources, the financial burden of medical care for families and the continuing risk posed by trachoma.

Aisha Eyecare would not attempt to duplicate large disease-control programmes. Our role should be targeted and partnership-led: help close practical access gaps that local eye-care teams, community organisations and health institutions identify.

What we would aim to build towards

Community and school vision screening linked to proper referral pathways.
Support for refractive error correction and access to glasses.
Eye-health education that complements recognised trachoma prevention and treatment efforts.
Partnerships with eye units, hospitals, universities and local health organisations.
Targeted support for rural outreach where distance and cost prevent people accessing care.
Training and professional development where local partners demonstrate a workforce need.

Why Kenya is different

Kenya has a stronger eye-health and training base than many neighbouring settings, yet access is still uneven. Sightsavers highlights funding and resource pressures, rural outreach needs and persistent trachoma risk in parts of the country.

For Aisha Eyecare, Kenya could become both a programme country and a regional bridge: a place to form professional partnerships, learn from established providers and connect expertise with underserved communities in Kenya and neighbouring countries.

What we would aim to build towards

School and community screening programmes with clear clinical referral standards.
Affordable glasses and refractive-error support.
Rural outreach in partnership with established eye-care providers.
Professional links with universities, hospitals, optometry and ophthalmology networks.
Training exchanges and regional knowledge-sharing that can benefit Somalia and Ethiopia as well as Kenya.
Research and measurement so projects are based on evidence rather than assumptions.

Our Principle

Do not copy and paste programmes between countries.

The same problem can have different causes in different places. Before funding a project, we want to understand the local workforce, referral system, cost barriers, geography, existing services and the views of patients and eye-care professionals.

Help Build the Right Partnerships

Do you work in eye care in Somalia, Ethiopia or Kenya?

We want to hear from people who understand the local system: clinicians, hospitals, universities, community organisations, researchers and responsible funders.

Get Involved