2025 ODA Fiji Outreach: 1,012 Screenings & 702 Pairs of Glasses

Our mission is clear and simple - to bring accessible eyecare to those who need it most. 

This year’s ODA Fiji Outreach was an extraordinary testament to what a group of passionate eyecare professionals can achieve together. 

Our volunteer team, made up of 10 dedicated optical dispensers from Australia, two talented dispensing opticians from New Zealand, two passionate Australian optometrists and team members from Opticare - The Eye Centre and Christian Helps, was truly an 11 out of 10. We couldn’t have wished for a better group to share this life-changing journey with.

We landed in Nadi on July 20th and were warmly greeted by familiar faces. Being our second year working on this project, it was a joy to be reunited with Nathan, our dear friend and local correspondent. Armed with suitcases full of equipment, donated pre-made glasses, uncut lenses, boxes of frames and school supplies, we were excited to return to the island that had stolen our hearts the year before.

That evening, the volunteer team gathered at the hotel restaurant to get acquainted and review the plan for our week ahead. Many of the team hadn’t met before, but we were all there for the same reason and it didn’t take long before it felt like we were all old friends.

For five days, we loaded into our minibus each morning and headed out to a new location to set up our mobile clinic. No two days were the same! Each day brought new adventures, friendships, and challenges.

Monday: Sathya Sai Primary School 

(165 Vision Screenings | 98 Pairs of Prescription Glasses Dispensed)

At our first clinic, we hit the ground running. We were very fortunate to be provided with two classrooms for the day, one for screening and testing and one for dispensing.

Working together for the first time, the team quickly found its rhythm and worked like a well-oiled machine. We were treated to a delicious local lunch and by days end, we had already dispensed nearly 100 pairs of glasses.

Tuesday: Deshbandu Village School & College of Theology & Evangelism

(187 Vision Screenings | 130 Pairs of Prescription Glasses Dispensed)

On Tuesday, the remote school that was to be our base for the day left us deeply moved.

The children were learning in a hot, temporary UNICEF tent with little ventilation after the school building had burnt down two years prior. This became our dispensing quarters for the day.

Before lunch, April and the Christian Helps team consisting of Nathan, Alvin and Joseph, set out doorknocking and flagging down passing vehicles to spread the word to the neighbouring farms, which saw a rush of locals arriving at our makeshift clinic.

In the early afternoon, the teams determination really shone through when one of our optometrists, Jerry and dispensing optician Sujata made a special home visit to a patient in need of visioncare, who was bedridden with polio. The family were absoulety delighted to welcome them into their home and were full of gratitude for the efforts of the team.

Later, with permission from the headmasters and the support of our dedicated drivers and resourceful volunteers, we used our minivans to transport students from a neighbouring school to our clinic for more vision screening. Being able to pool our resources and use our skills to screen two schools in one day was truly rewarding.

When the sun started to disappear we departed Deshbandu village bound for the College of Theology & Evangelism - a familiar location for some, having been our base the previous year.

As the college students prepared a delicious-smelling lovo (a traditional Fijian barbecue cooked in a ground oven), we screened and dispensed glasses for the students, teachers, and their families in the kitchen and lounge room of the visitor quarters. After packing up we were treated to a mouthwatering lovo dinner and a moving choir performance and in return, Gillie captivated the students by presenting a lecture on dealing with personality types.

Full bellies, tired feet, and warm hearts ended a long day and evening for us all.

Wednesday: Qalitu Primary School

(194 Vision Screenings | 131 Pairs of Prescription Glasses Dispensed)

Wednesday was once again another day full of reward and surprises. We were met with the unexpected arrival of the Lautoka police force. Little did we know that they had heard about the opportunity to have their eyes tested and had all come for their vision screening.

We were thrilled to be able to dispense prescription reading glasses for many of them and provide the whole team with new sunglasses. Over the following two days, many of their colleagues followed suit, visiting our other clinics and patiently waiting in line with the villagers.

Once again, we stayed until the sun disappeared and whilst some of the team hung up their occluders for the evening, the rest took a detour home. We were informed about another bedridden patient that needed our help, so after dark six of the team journeyed along, bumpy dirt track to a small farmhouse amongst the cane fields, where a patient with one eye was eagerly awaiting our arrival.

Using phone torches for light, super optom Jerry and super dispenser Chedy assessed the vision in his good eye and provided him with some new reading glasses.

When they asked the elderly patient how he had lost his other eye he responsed, "the pressure got so high it burst," highlighting the sad reality for people living with little to no access to healthcare. While they were in the home they also tested two family members before putting their tools down for the night.  

Thursday: Navutu Village

(349 Vision Screenings | 258 Pairs of Prescription Glasses Dispensed)

On Wednesday evening we were briefed on our location for the following morning which was to be a local village.

Upon our morning arrival, we were all quickly reminded of the very reason we chose to be part of this project. The Navutu Village on the outskirts of Lautoka, primarily consists of tin houses and provides homes to scores of families on the foreshore of the Pacific Ocean. Situated in a cyclone-prone area, the structures of this village are far from cyclone proof which has resulted in devastating times for the village over the years. With limited access to resources, including healthcare, this was exactly the kind of community we came to serve.

The Village Chief welcomed us warmly and had prepared a shaded area under a temporary tin awning. Here we screened 349 people and dispensed 258 pairs of prescription glasses whilst Jerry and Amanda tested patients in the lounge room of the Chief’s daughter’s home. Meanwhile, Lyn made several home visits to bedridden residents, making fast friends along the way.

We worked until the sun went down and were treated to a game of soccer with the children, that turned into touch football, that soon evolved into rugby league and then somewhat resembled a wrestling match. The smiles, the laughter, the connections, this was one of those key moments that pulls you back down to reality and reminds you about the importance of the little pleasures in life.

Before we left, we presented the Village Chief with donations of school supplies, soccer balls, toothbrushes, and football boots. We left feeling exhausted but exhilarated, running on adrenaline and with our hearts utterly and completely full.

Later that night, with our pre-made glasses running low, April, Chedy, Nathan, Titus and Kirsten returned to the Opticare practice in town to edge more lenses from our uncut stock. They worked until the stroke of midnight before calling it a night, ready to hit the ground running again in just a few short hours.

Friday: Shri Ram Govind Memorial Primary School

(117 Vision Screenings | 85 Pairs of Prescription Glasses Dispensed)

Friday morning kicked off with an early morning shopping trip for Nathan and Chedy. Even after the late-night escapades, we wanted to ensure that we had plenty of spectacles for the day ahead. Visiting various Chemists in town in an attempt to organise some extra reading glasses, the mission was a success with Chovan Pharmacy Lautoka providing us with all their stock at less than cost price, as a gesture to support our cause.

Our final clinic was held at a beautiful little school nestled in the mountains, filled with smiling children and kind locals. The attendance was manageable with our remaining stock, where we screened and dispensed until the very end, right down to the last local detective who arrived as we packed up.

It was an emotional afternoon as we said goodbye to our rockstar optometrist Jerry, who began his journey back to Perth after lunch. Tears were shed by the team as his car bounced down the mountainside. This week had truly bonded our team for life.

Saturday: Time to Recharge

The hard part was over for another year and it was time to reward the team! On Saturday we packed our towels and swimmers and headed over to Port Denarau for a day of rest and relaxation on a nearby island (and birthday celebrations for Shayla). But the story doesn’t end there…

We have a saying in Fiji: “There’s always another… Van, Ute, Edger, Boat…” Because things don’t always go to plan but it never ruins the day and there’s always another option. In 2024 we experienced multiple broken-down vehicles and equipment but we always found another way.

This year we thought we were on a roll, that is until we boarded the ship bound for our island adventure. 15 mins in and the boat broke down, we were returned to port and the day trip was cancelled. We burst out laughing because it was just typical Fiji life for us…and as we had experienced before “There’s always another boat.”

We couldn’t believe our luck when we stumbled upon ‘Flat Chat’ an ex racing catamaran from Brisbane with a Kiwi crew ready for its maiden sightseeing voyage. It’s not every day you start out on a 300-person tourist boat and end up with a private charter!

We cruised, lunched on an island, snorkelled to a sand spit and sailed back with the most glorious sunset. We couldn’t help but feel like Fiji was showing us love for all the hard work we had done during the week.

Sunday: Farewell & Reflection

Sunday morning was bittersweet as we reflected on the week and said goodbye to our team. Parting with our local Fijian crew, the ones that were truly at the heart of this project was especially hard. The teams from Opticare - The Eye Centre and Christian Helps have become an integral part of the ODA family. We are deeply grateful for their dedication, their huge hearts, and the lifelong friendships we now share across the Pacific.

Over the course of the week, we screened 1,012 people, dispensed 702 pairs of prescription glasses and distributed 250 pairs of sunglasses. Of the communities we served, many had never had an eye test, let alone owned a pair of glasses. With a variety of refractive errors tended to, (such as children with myopia who were unable to see the classroom blackboard, elderly presbyopic grandparents that could no longer work due to their poor vision) we saw their worlds transformed.

Each year, we witness the power of connection and the change a simple pair of glasses can bring. The communities we serve inspire us with their resilience and kindness, and the bonds formed among our teams are lifelong.

Fiji once again showed us that things may not always go to plan, but together, “there’s always another way.”

Thank You to our Sponsors and Volunteers

The only reason ODA was able to tackle such a huge project and change so many lives is because of the volunteers and the generous donations we receive for the project.

ODA’s deep gratitude goes to our Australian sponsors, whose generous support and contributions allowed us to bring accessible eyecare to those who need it most.

These include: Hoya Lens Australia, CR Labs, ACOD, Pro Optics, augie Eyewear, Safilo Australia, De Rigo Vision Australia, Aviva & Mann Optical Group, Eyes of Hope and Teachers Health Centre.

Your contributions have changed lives across the Pacific.

Vinaka vakalevu (thank you very much), Fiji. Until next year!

The 2025 ODA Volunteer Team: Sonal Chand (Fiji), Alvin Nair (Fiji), Amit Avinendra Dutt (NZ), Linden McNeill (WA), Chedy Kalach (NSW), Bradley McMillan (NSW), Lyn Simeon (NSW), Gillie Readett (NSW), Eva Walker (NSW), Amanda Napthali (NSW), Maddison Weedon (NSW), Naushad Mohammad (Fiji), Allyson Caffell (WA), Ashika Deo (Fiji), Shareen Deo (Fiji), Titus Ram (Fiji), Shayla Gully (NZ), Julie Diemar (NSW), Sujata Naicker (NZ), Kirsten Kumar (Fiji), Nathan Adams (Fiji), April Petrusma (NSW), Jerry Mathias (WA) Absent from photo: Jospeh Logayau (Fiji)