“To decrease the burden of blindness in the developing world through clinical care, teaching, and research.”

Where does CEM go?

Currently CEM has opportunities for volunteers in Ghana, West Africa and Tegucigalpa, Honduras. In both locations, CEM is partnering with locally owned and operated eye clinics that offer eye care to the local poor population. We work in cooperation with the Ministry of Health and/or National Prevention of Blindness Program for the country.

When do volunteers go?

You can plan a volunteer trip for just about any time that fits your schedule. The exceptions are the holidays such as Christmas and Easter and some local holidays when the clinic may be closed for several days. Also we prefer to send first time CEM volunteer surgeons with an experienced volunteer for at least the first week of their initial trip. We find this provides an excellent orientation and improves volunteer satisfaction; however it does require that we coordinate your trip with that of another volunteer.

Who can go?

There is a need for ophthalmologists (especially those with surgical skills); optometrists, ophthalmic technicians, ophthalmic surgical nurses, and other health care professionals. In Honduras we can also use volunteers proficient in Spanish to accompany non-Spanish speaking volunteers. This is a real asset especially if the volunteers will be providing training to the clinic staff (there are also local translators available). Family members are also welcome to accompany you.

What is the recommended length for a volunteer trip?

If you are traveling to Ghana, we strongly suggest that you go for a minimum of two weeks because of the distance and the expense involved for airfare. (However we do occasionally have volunteers that go to Ghana for shorter periods).

For Honduras either 1-2 week visits (or longer if you are able) work well.

What will I do on a volunteer trip?

Yours skills will be used in the clinic to help with the daily patient care depending on your area of expertise and the needs. This includes patient examinations, refractions, preparation for surgery, surgical care as well as patient education. We also stress transfer of skills and encourage volunteers to provide training opportunities when appropriate. It is best to coordinate this when scheduling your trip so necessary arrangements can made ahead of time.

If you are in the country over the weekend there will be options for activities such as sight seeing, shopping, relaxing and worship.

Where will I stay?

In Ghana, volunteers stay at a guest house or hotel near the clinic.

In Honduras your accommodations will be at a local bed and breakfast that is owned and operated by a member of our partner church. Transportation to and from the clinic will be provided each day.

We want you to be as comfortable, safe and as well rested as possible during your stay.

What about food and water?

All of the guesthouses, hotels and restaurants have bottled water available as well as soft drinks. These are perfectly safe to drink (without ice). There are a number of excellent restaurants to pick from in both Ghana and Honduras.We recommend that you eat only fruits and vegetables that have been cooked or peeled. You may wish to take a few of your favorite snacks along as a supplement.

How much does a trip cost?

For Ghana, the approximate cost of the trip is $2,500 for surgeons and $2000 for others. This covers the cost of airfare and medical registration for the doctor and airfare for others. Additional cost that you will need to budget for include hotel and meals (approximately $100 per day), travel insurance, visa charges, and any side trips and sight-seeing  that you would like to do on the weekends.

For Honduras we ask volunteers to pay the cost of their airfare plus a standard fee to cover the in country costs as well as insurance. That fee is $550 for a one week stay and $750 for two weeks.

Are these expenses tax deductible?

Yes. A donation receipt for tax purposes will be mailed to you for any check payment that is made to our organization for trip expenses.

Do the patients pay for services that they receive at CEM affiliated clinics?

Patients seen at CEM affiliated clinics are charged a modest fee for the services that they receive. Fees are adjusted for those unable to pay the full amount or unable to pay anything at all. Our goal is to establish sustainable clinics and cost recovery is an important part of this process. This involves implementing programs and policies that enable the local staff to operate the clinic with as little dependence on outside aid as possible. We want to build capacity and empower the recipients to become self sufficient, not create further dependence. That said, be assured the purpose of CEM clinics are to serve the poor and we do not want to turn anyone away because they are unable to pay.

I am interested; I would like more information about volunteering with CEM.

Please either call or e-mail Faye Kragt at CEM (See below for contact information.)

For further information about CEM you can also visit our web site:www.christianeyeministry.org

OTHER SOURCES FOR RELATED INFORMATION:

For additional information on Ghana go to www.ghana.com

For Honduras go to www.honduras.com

For country specific information on immunization recommendations:www.cdc.gov

I would like to make a volunteer trip, what’s the next step?

Contact Faye Kragt fayekragt@gmail.com.