Unite For Sight
Encyclopedia
Unite for Sight is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
founded by Jennifer Staple-Clark specializing in healthcare delivery to communities around the world to eliminate patient barriers to care. Partnering with local clinics in Ghana
, India
, and Honduras
, Unite for Sight invests human and financial resources in the social ventures of the local healthcare professionals. On a daily, year-round basis, eye care is brought to remote villages by the local eye doctors. As of July 2011, Unite for Sight has assisted more than 1.2 million people, including over 43,000 vision-restoring surgeries.
partners. After completing global health
training, Global Impact Fellow volunteers travel to one of the three country locations to support and assist the local eye doctors as they deliver eye care to patients living in extreme poverty
.
Global Impact Fellows can also work with Unite For Sight to design and implement a global health research study in the Global Impact Lab. Primarily students, these research volunteers work with Unite For Sight, the partner eye clinic, and a university mentor, and they also are required to receive Institutional Review Board
(IRB) approval. Global Impact Fellows complete and receive a Certificate in Global Health Research, preparing them for critical issues with research in the developing world. Many fellows go on to publish and present their findings at research conferences and in academic journals.
In India
, volunteers have the option of participating in either Dhenkanal
, Orissa
, or in Patna
, Bihar
. In Dhenkanal
, Global Impact Fellows work with Kalinga Eye Hospital and Research Centre (KEHRC), which was founded by social entrepreneur Sarang Samal. Kalinga Eye Hospital provides healthcare to the seven districts of central Orissa
, which has a population of 7 million people. In Dhenkanal
, Global Impact Fellows partake in NGO management programs while directly learning about sustainable health care. In Patna
, fellows work alongside Dr. Satyajit Sinha (a cataract
and glaucoma
specialist), ophthalmologist Dr. Ajit Sinha, and Dr. Pooja Sinha (retina
specialist) in the A.B. Eye Institute to provide free eye care to poor patients, free surgery at the charity
clinic
, and help at the Bihar Netraheen Parishad school for blind girls.
The Ghana
program with Unite for Sight includes three eye clinics in Accra
, one in Kumasi
, and one in Tamale
. Global Impact Fellows work with ophthalmic
nurses and optometrists of the eye clinics to provide eye care in rural
villages that are located 1-8 hours from each eye clinic. The patients receive eye care from the local eye doctors.
In Honduras
, Global Impact Fellows work with Centro de Salud Integral Zoe, which is based in Tegucigalpa
. Eye care outreaches are provided in remote villages, and Global Impact Fellow volunteers work alongside the local eye doctors to provide eye care to approximately 100 patients each day.
counseling, fellowship
and internship opportunities, and online courses of topics ranging from Global Health Practice to Responsible NGO Management. GHU also includes the Global Health Leadership Society, which brings together professionals and students involved in public health
, providing a platform for individuals committed to excellence in global health to network.
conference.
are led by college
, graduate
, and high school
students serving as advocates for reducing barriers to healthcare. Volunteers can opt for a Community-Based Chapter Track or a Global Health Chapter Track.
Community-Based volunteers partner with local teachers
to help the teachers identify visual issues among their students. Chapters work to inform teachers about resources that provide free eye care for children. Volunteers also train staff at local community centers to arrange for free eye care from professional organizations like the American Academy of Ophthalmology
(EyeCare America) and American Optometric Association
(VisionUSA). Community-Based Track Chapters also fundraise, and 100% provides eye care for patients living in extreme poverty
.
Global Health Chapter Volunteers focus on fundraising
to provide sight-restoring surgeries by Unite For Sight’s partner eye clinics. Chapters also hold informative global health events and activities.
. The organization has received weekly coverage on CNN
in 2007 and 2008, and has been featured in The New York Times
, Yale Daily News
, among other outlets. Staple-Clark has garnered multiple accolades including the coveted BRICK Award and the American Institute of Public Service's 2009 Jefferson Awards for Public Service
, the Noble Prize equivalent in public service
. In addition, she frequently gives presentations and keynote addresses. Her most recent audiences include Harvard School of Public Health
, Yale Law School
, Yale College
, Yale School of Public Health
, Stanford, Duke
, MIT, New York University School of Medicine
, Miller School of Medicine of UMiami, Northwestern University School of Medicine's American Medical Student Association Conference, and American Academy of Ophthalmology
's Women in Ophthalmology Leadership Institute. She has also been featured in the book Our Time is Now: Young People Changing the World, as well as in many other publications. She is the author of journal articles and book chapters about social entrepreneurship, practices in global health, and community eye health.
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
founded by Jennifer Staple-Clark specializing in healthcare delivery to communities around the world to eliminate patient barriers to care. Partnering with local clinics in Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, and Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
, Unite for Sight invests human and financial resources in the social ventures of the local healthcare professionals. On a daily, year-round basis, eye care is brought to remote villages by the local eye doctors. As of July 2011, Unite for Sight has assisted more than 1.2 million people, including over 43,000 vision-restoring surgeries.
Volunteer Abroad
The Global Impact Corps is a volunteer abroad program that places students and professionals with Unite For Sight’s local eye clinicClinic
A clinic is a health care facility that is primarily devoted to the care of outpatients...
partners. After completing global health
Global health
Global health is the health of populations in a global context and transcends the perspectives and concerns of individual nations. Health problems that transcend national borders or have a global political and economic impact, are often emphasized...
training, Global Impact Fellow volunteers travel to one of the three country locations to support and assist the local eye doctors as they deliver eye care to patients living in extreme poverty
Poverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
.
Global Impact Fellows can also work with Unite For Sight to design and implement a global health research study in the Global Impact Lab. Primarily students, these research volunteers work with Unite For Sight, the partner eye clinic, and a university mentor, and they also are required to receive Institutional Review Board
Institutional review board
An institutional review board , also known as an independent ethics committee or ethical review board , is a committee that has been formally designated to approve, monitor, and review biomedical and behavioral research involving humans with the aim to protect the rights and welfare of the...
(IRB) approval. Global Impact Fellows complete and receive a Certificate in Global Health Research, preparing them for critical issues with research in the developing world. Many fellows go on to publish and present their findings at research conferences and in academic journals.
In India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, volunteers have the option of participating in either Dhenkanal
Dhenkanal, India
Dhenkanal is a city and a municipality in Dhenkanal district in the state of Orissa, India.-Geography:Dhenkanal is located at . It has an average elevation of 80 metres .-Demographics:...
, Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
, or in Patna
Patna
Paṭnā , is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar and the second largest city in Eastern India . Patna is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world...
, Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
. In Dhenkanal
Dhenkanal, India
Dhenkanal is a city and a municipality in Dhenkanal district in the state of Orissa, India.-Geography:Dhenkanal is located at . It has an average elevation of 80 metres .-Demographics:...
, Global Impact Fellows work with Kalinga Eye Hospital and Research Centre (KEHRC), which was founded by social entrepreneur Sarang Samal. Kalinga Eye Hospital provides healthcare to the seven districts of central Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
, which has a population of 7 million people. In Dhenkanal
Dhenkanal, India
Dhenkanal is a city and a municipality in Dhenkanal district in the state of Orissa, India.-Geography:Dhenkanal is located at . It has an average elevation of 80 metres .-Demographics:...
, Global Impact Fellows partake in NGO management programs while directly learning about sustainable health care. In Patna
Patna
Paṭnā , is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar and the second largest city in Eastern India . Patna is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world...
, fellows work alongside Dr. Satyajit Sinha (a cataract
Cataract
A cataract is a clouding that develops in the crystalline lens of the eye or in its envelope, varying in degree from slight to complete opacity and obstructing the passage of light...
and glaucoma
Glaucoma
Glaucoma is an eye disorder in which the optic nerve suffers damage, permanently damaging vision in the affected eye and progressing to complete blindness if untreated. It is often, but not always, associated with increased pressure of the fluid in the eye...
specialist), ophthalmologist Dr. Ajit Sinha, and Dr. Pooja Sinha (retina
Retina
The vertebrate retina is a light-sensitive tissue lining the inner surface of the eye. The optics of the eye create an image of the visual world on the retina, which serves much the same function as the film in a camera. Light striking the retina initiates a cascade of chemical and electrical...
specialist) in the A.B. Eye Institute to provide free eye care to poor patients, free surgery at the charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
clinic
Clinic
A clinic is a health care facility that is primarily devoted to the care of outpatients...
, and help at the Bihar Netraheen Parishad school for blind girls.
The Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
program with Unite for Sight includes three eye clinics in Accra
Accra
Accra is the capital and largest city of Ghana, with an urban population of 1,658,937 according to the 2000 census. Accra is also the capital of the Greater Accra Region and of the Accra Metropolitan District, with which it is coterminous...
, one in Kumasi
Kumasi
Kumasi is a city in southern central Ghana's Ashanti region. It is located near Lake Bosomtwe, in the Rain Forest Region about northwest of Accra. Kumasi is approximately north of the Equator and north of the Gulf of Guinea...
, and one in Tamale
Tamale
A tamale — or more correctly tamal — is a traditional Latin American dish made of masa , which is steamed or boiled in a leaf wrapper. The wrapping is discarded before eating...
. Global Impact Fellows work with ophthalmic
Ophthalmic
Ophthalmic means pertaining to the eye, and can refer to:* Ophthalmology* Ophthalmic nerve* Ophthalmic artery* Ophthalmic veins* Ophthalmic drug administration, as with eye dropsSee also:* Ophthalmia...
nurses and optometrists of the eye clinics to provide eye care in rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
villages that are located 1-8 hours from each eye clinic. The patients receive eye care from the local eye doctors.
In Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
, Global Impact Fellows work with Centro de Salud Integral Zoe, which is based in Tegucigalpa
Tegucigalpa
Tegucigalpa , and commonly referred as Tegus , is the capital of Honduras and seat of government of the Republic, along with its twin sister Comayagüela. Founded on September 29, 1578 by the Spanish, it became the country's capital on October 30, 1880 under President Marco Aurelio Soto...
. Eye care outreaches are provided in remote villages, and Global Impact Fellow volunteers work alongside the local eye doctors to provide eye care to approximately 100 patients each day.
Global Health University
Global Health University is an online library of certificate programs, as well as in-person workshops, social enterpriseSocial enterprise
A social enterprise is an organization that applies business strategies to achieving philanthropic goals. Social enterprises can be structured as a for-profit or non-profit....
counseling, fellowship
Fellowship
Fellowship may refer to:* An academic position: see fellow* A merit-based scholarship, or form of academic financial aid* Fellowship , a period of medical training after a residency...
and internship opportunities, and online courses of topics ranging from Global Health Practice to Responsible NGO Management. GHU also includes the Global Health Leadership Society, which brings together professionals and students involved in public health
Public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...
, providing a platform for individuals committed to excellence in global health to network.
Global Health and Innovation Conference
The Global Health & Innovation Conference is Unite for Sight's annual conference bringing together more than 2,200 participants from over 55 countries. The conference is the world’s largest global health conference and largest social entrepreneurshipSocial entrepreneurship
Social entrepreneurship is the work of social entrepreneurs. A social entrepreneur recognizes a social problem and uses entrepreneurial principles to organize, create and manage a venture to achieve social change . While a business entrepreneur typically measures performance in profit and return, a...
conference.
National Chapters
Chapters across North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
are led by college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
, graduate
Graduate school
A graduate school is a school that awards advanced academic degrees with the general requirement that students must have earned a previous undergraduate degree...
, and high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
students serving as advocates for reducing barriers to healthcare. Volunteers can opt for a Community-Based Chapter Track or a Global Health Chapter Track.
Community-Based volunteers partner with local teachers
Teachers
Teachers may refer to:* Teachers, people who provide schooling for pupils and students* Teachers , one of the five Ascension Gift Ministries* Teachers , a British sitcom* Teachers Teachers may refer to:* Teachers, people who provide schooling for pupils and students* Teachers (ministry), one of the...
to help the teachers identify visual issues among their students. Chapters work to inform teachers about resources that provide free eye care for children. Volunteers also train staff at local community centers to arrange for free eye care from professional organizations like the American Academy of Ophthalmology
American Academy of Ophthalmology
The American Academy of Ophthalmology is the largest national membership medical association of ophthalmologists–medical doctors specializing in eye care and surgery including medical, surgical and optical care. More than 90 percent of practicing U.S. Eye M.D.s are Academy members, and the...
(EyeCare America) and American Optometric Association
American Optometric Association
The American Optometric Association represents optometrists nationally in the USA. It consists of State Optometric Associations, which are made up of local optometric societies.-AOA mission:...
(VisionUSA). Community-Based Track Chapters also fundraise, and 100% provides eye care for patients living in extreme poverty
Poverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
.
Global Health Chapter Volunteers focus on fundraising
Fundraising
Fundraising or fund raising is the process of soliciting and gathering voluntary contributions as money or other resources, by requesting donations from individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies...
to provide sight-restoring surgeries by Unite For Sight’s partner eye clinics. Chapters also hold informative global health events and activities.
Founder
Social entrepreneur Jennifer Staple-Clark founded Unite for Sight in 2000 as a sophomore at Yale UniversityYale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
. The organization has received weekly coverage on CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
in 2007 and 2008, and has been featured in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, Yale Daily News
Yale Daily News
The Yale Daily News is an independent student newspaper published by Yale University students in New Haven, Connecticut since January 28, 1878...
, among other outlets. Staple-Clark has garnered multiple accolades including the coveted BRICK Award and the American Institute of Public Service's 2009 Jefferson Awards for Public Service
Jefferson Awards for Public Service
Jefferson Awards for Public Service were created in 1972 by the American Institute for Public Service as "a Nobel Prize for community and public service".-American Institute for Public Service:...
, the Noble Prize equivalent in public service
Public services
Public services is a term usually used to mean services provided by government to its citizens, either directly or by financing private provision of services. The term is associated with a social consensus that certain services should be available to all, regardless of income...
. In addition, she frequently gives presentations and keynote addresses. Her most recent audiences include Harvard School of Public Health
Harvard School of Public Health
The Harvard School of Public Health is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University, located in the Longwood Area of the Boston, Massachusetts neighborhood of Mission Hill, which is next to Harvard Medical School. HSPH is considered a significant school focusing on health in the...
, Yale Law School
Yale Law School
Yale Law School, or YLS, is the law school of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Established in 1824, it offers the J.D., LL.M., J.S.D. and M.S.L. degrees in law. It also hosts visiting scholars, visiting researchers and a number of legal research centers...
, Yale College
Yale College
Yale College was the official name of Yale University from 1718 to 1887. The name now refers to the undergraduate part of the university. Each undergraduate student is assigned to one of 12 residential colleges.-Residential colleges:...
, Yale School of Public Health
Yale School of Public Health
The Yale School of Public Health was founded in 1915 by Charles-Edward Amory Winslow and is one of the oldest public health masters programs in the United States...
, Stanford, Duke
Duke
A duke or duchess is a member of the nobility, historically of highest rank below the monarch, and historically controlling a duchy...
, MIT, New York University School of Medicine
New York University School of Medicine
The New York University School of Medicine is one of the graduate schools of New York University. Founded in 1841 as the University Medical College, the NYU School of Medicine is one of the foremost medical schools in the United States....
, Miller School of Medicine of UMiami, Northwestern University School of Medicine's American Medical Student Association Conference, and American Academy of Ophthalmology
American Academy of Ophthalmology
The American Academy of Ophthalmology is the largest national membership medical association of ophthalmologists–medical doctors specializing in eye care and surgery including medical, surgical and optical care. More than 90 percent of practicing U.S. Eye M.D.s are Academy members, and the...
's Women in Ophthalmology Leadership Institute. She has also been featured in the book Our Time is Now: Young People Changing the World, as well as in many other publications. She is the author of journal articles and book chapters about social entrepreneurship, practices in global health, and community eye health.