Nicaraguan Delights at IEF's 50th Celebration

The date for IEF's 50th Anniversary Celebration and Ambassadors Wine Tasting is fast approaching. Join old friends and new at the beautiful home of Dr. & Mrs. Stephen Hopping in Bethesda, MD for an exciting afternoon tasting fine wines and festivities marking our Golden Anniversary.

Tantalize your taste buds at the buffet of wonderful dishes from Nicaragua prepared by Ambassador Eduardo Sevilla and Julia Hopping. You will be welcomed to the party by young people in brightly colored traditional Nicaraguan dress.

Enjoy a selection of fine wines offered by David and Helen Choi of Pearsons Wine and Spirits of Georgetown.

Joining us will be Ambassadors from countries where IEF is working to save sight

Our Golden Anniversary marks a half century of preventing blindness and restoring sight worldwide. Help us celebrate because you are all part of the IEF family and have helped us be who we are today!

View the Invitation here and make your reservations now!

IEF Organizes Childhood Blindness NGO Meeting

On 25 and 26 July, more than 60 participants from eye care organizations around the world (11 countries not including the US and Europe) met in Washington, DC for final reports and the official closing of the A2Z Childhood Blindness Program. IEF's Director of Programs John Barrows assisted in the designed of the curriculum with FHI Development 360 (formerly AED) staff and participated in the workshop.

Dr. Khumbo Kalua, Director of the Blantyre Institute for Community Ophthalmology (Malawi), presented results for IEF's A2Z funded research project “Finding Community Solutions to Improved Blind and Visually Impaired Children’s Access and Acceptance to Cataract Surgery in Southern Malawi.” Representatives from eye care organizations in 11 countries reviewed the objectives and accomplishments of the program whose primary aim was to reduce childhood blindness by creating greater awareness, acceptance and use of refractive error, rehabilitation and ocular surgery. After sharing the gains made, discussion moved to translating research into action, exploring new innovative strategies, identifying gaps in services and priority actions to inform future efforts.