Every day I work toward the dream of affordable and accessible eye care for all.
I am passionate about eliminating blindness and visual impairment because I have seen how those things can forever change a life. When I was 15 years old, my sister struggled with vision problems and was limited in her options due to a lack of optometrists and the high cost of glasses. My parents
struggled to afford the glasses she needed, which cost $700 tala (about US$275). When the minimum wage was less than $2 tala an hour, I often wondered how people could afford the glasses they needed. Poor vision not only affects the individual but can also be a huge burden on their family and society at large. Vision loss in children impacts their development, ability to learn, and self-esteem. In adults, it affects their mobility and ability to live independently, limiting job opportunities and lowering their quality of life.
After witnessing my sister’s struggles, it became my life’s mission to help people with vision problems. I received a scholarship to study optometry in New Zealand and returned home in 2012 as the first optometrist in my nation’s history. I decided I could make the biggest impact at our national hospital. There, I spent seven years seeing thousands of patients (most for their first eye exam) and worked with donors and NGOs to carry out vision screenings in rural communities. And as a lecturer in Fiji, I have passed on skills and knowledge to the next generation’s eye care professionals.
Samoa isn’t like countries that already have developed eye care programs, like child vision screenings or government subsidies for glasses. We are a third world country, so resources are scarce. But I knew I could do more to achieve my dream. So, in 2019 I opened the social venture Samoa Eye Care using the lessons I learned from working in the public and private sectors. Over the entire year, we have carried out hundreds of free eye exams and provided free glasses to children and the underprivileged. We have also carried out educational campaigns and brought down the cost of eyeglasses.
I believe in a future where no one needlessly suffers from visual impairment. That starts with individuals like myself taking responsibility to inspire, collaborate with passionate people and organizations, and educate everyone about the importance of eye health in their lives, their family, and society.