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With just 30 ophthalmologists serving a population of over 13 million, Rwanda faces a critical shortage of eye care professionals. In July 2025, the Orbis Flying Eye Hospital landed in Kigali, Rwanda’s capital, marking the start of a historic two-week training program aimed to strengthen the country’s eye care system.

This mission brought world-class ophthalmologists aboard our airborne eye care clinic-cum-teaching hospital —not only to share advanced medical knowledge with local eye care teams, but also to empower them to become a lasting force in the fight against avoidable blindness.

Among those joining the mission were three inspiring individuals from Hong Kong: Rachel, an ophthalmologist in training; Kelly, a patient living with retinitis pigmentosa; and Nadia, a dedicated monthly donor. Together, they witnessed firsthand the life-changing impact of sight-saving work in Rwanda, the “Land of a Thousand Hills”.

As an ophthalmologist in training at the University of Hong Kong, I understand how education can change lives. With only 30 ophthalmologists for its 13,000,000 people, Rwanda’s overstretched medical resources were in urgent need of that transformation.

What I found most inspirational about my fellow volunteer doctors was the tireless way they patiently walked local trainees through every step of the learning process. The skills they shared during both simulations and real surgeries spanned everything from preoperative preparation to postoperative care.
 

I was just nine when my sight started failing. By three years ago, I could see no further than one step ahead. While preventable blindness creeps up on everyone, Rwanda’s overstretched healthcare services and lack of basic civic amenities such as paved roads and traffic lights mean the challenges here are many times greater.

76-year-old Amiel told me cataracts had stolen both his ability to farm and live independently. Before stepping aboard the Flying Eye Hospital after a three-hour journey to here, he had barely even seen a plane. His bright smile as the bandages were removed touched my heart.

With your support, our volunteers can be the catalyst that brings hope in sight.
 

The many Rwandans I met taught me how compassion is the seed that generates the knowledge needed to transform disadvantaged lives. I remember one elderly diabetic retinopathy sufferer telling me about the sight in her remaining “good” eye was all the hope she had left. The moment she learned her surgery would be free, her initial anxiety was replaced by profound relief.

When I tried to thank Orbis doctors and trainers, they instead on thanking me—and supporters like you — for doing so much to help them share their skills. It was then I realised how every donor is part of this sight-saving mission.