Press Release: South Pacific Eye Care Foundation Launch
- Apr 13
- 3 min read
It gives us great pleasure to announce the launch of the South Pacific Eye Care Foundation (SPEC Foundation). The SPEC Foundation is a registered charitable organisation dedicated to advancing eye health and reducing preventable vision impairment, within disadvantaged communities of Australia and across developing regions of the South Pacific. Through volunteer outreach projects and mobile eye clinics, the Foundation provides vision screenings, dispenses free prescription spectacles, manages minor acute eye conditions, and facilitates referrals for further care.
They work collaboratively with volunteers, community partners, sponsors, and industry bodies to raise awareness, strengthen access to eye care, and support sustainable initiatives that improve long-term vision and health outcomes.
What makes the SPEC Foundation different?
Many established eye care charities have traditionally centred around the clinical roles of ophthalmologists or optometrists. While these organisations are absolutely vital and perform necessary work in preventing avoidable blindness and strengthening eye-care systems - there are relatively few avenues specifically dedicated to leveraging the unique skills of optical dispensers and dispensing opticians to improve the quality of life for people living with undiagnosed refractive errors. The Foundation aims to fill this gap by actively engaging optical dispensers and dispensing opticians in charitable initiatives. Through the SPEC Foundations projects, such as the ODA Outreach, dispensers can support communities with limited access to eye care, while also empowering the profession to play a greater role in improving vision outcomes across the South Pacific.
Who is behind the organisation?
The SPEC Foundation was born from a deep love of eye care and a shared belief that access to basic vision services should be available to everyone. Co-founded by April Petrusma and Chedy Kalach (both Optical Dispensers) - the Foundation grew out of the ODA Outreach project, launched in 2024 as an initiative of Optical Dispensers Australia (ODA). After facilitating multiple volunteer outreach trips from Australia to Fiji, it became clear to April and Chedy that limited access to eye care across disadvantaged communities in the South Pacific was a persistent and systemic issue, not a temporary one. In response, the SPEC Foundation was established to create a sustainable, long-term approach to delivering eye care where it is needed most.
How can you get involved?
Organisations and individuals interested in contributing are encouraged to get involved by donating goods, providing financial support or volunteering.
o The Foundation welcomes ongoing sponsorship enquiries and accepts both physical donations arranged directly with the team and monetary contributions made via its website.
o Businesses can also support the SPEC Foundation by nominating it as their chosen charity in a range of practical and meaningful ways. These include featuring the Foundation’s logo and website link on their own platforms, displaying a small donation box at the counter, inviting customers to contribute a small amount in lieu of minor frame repairs, pledging a percentage of sales, or hosting dedicated fundraising events.
o Supporters can also make a one-off donation via the website or join the recurring donation program to help support accessible eye care on an ongoing basis.
o Volunteers remain central to the Foundation’s work. Each year, members of Optical Dispensers Australia (ODA) are invited to apply for participation via the ODA Outreach project. While places are limited, applications are encouraged from qualified optical dispensers and dispensing opticians across Australia and New Zealand. Updates and application openings are announced via ODA’s social media channels and the ODA Today e-Newsletter.
Get in touch here:
1300 687 632
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