The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ

We’re excited to have one of our team at the SocCon 2025 Social Sciences Conference this week in Wellington. Meghan is busy promoting our social studies education packs to over 300 conference attendees from schools throughout New Zealand. Our education packs were tailor-made by Shayla Close, Head of Social Studies at Palmerston North Boys' High School and are full of engaging lessons based on sustainable social action. Available for Years 5 through to 10, each free downloadable pack contains lesson plans, Powerpoint modules, and supporting resources tailored for each of the phases of the curriculum. The packs cover everything from the causes and impacts of blindness; who Professor Fred Hollows was with a look at values, legacies and pioneers; social disadvantage and societal challenges, with links to the sustainable development goals and human rights; and social action, with case studies of The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ’s work in the Pacific. To learn more and download our education packs, head to our website: https://lnkd.in/gSB7zw7F #SocCon2025 #SocialSciences #SocialAction #NZTeachers #FredHollows #FredHollowsFoundationNZ

Are you a fundraiser who knows the power of a great donor journey? Join The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ and help grow our monthly giving programme, deepen supporter relationships, and make a lasting impact across the Pacific. You’ll bring campaign smarts, data-driven thinking, and a passion for creating meaningful donor experiences — all in support of restoring sight where it’s needed most. What we offer: ✅ Flexible working ✅ Health insurance ✅ Extra Christmas leave ✅ Professional development support 🧡 Sound like you? Apply now:

Today we celebrate the posthumous 96th birthday of our founder and legendary Kiwi eye doctor, Professor Fred Hollows. Fred made his name working on the frontline of eye health. He went where the need was greatest, created innovative ways to deliver surgery, and worked tirelessly to restore sight. He knew that lasting change came from empowering others and believed in passing on his knowledge, skills and humanity. That belief still guides our work today, and Fred’s legacy is reflected in people like Dr Mundi Qoqonokana. Trained through a Foundation-supported programme, Dr Mundi graduated as an eye doctor with a Master of Ophthalmology in 2009. Since then, he’s restored sight to thousands of people across the Pacific. “People ask me why I work such long hours,” Dr Mundi says. “I tell them it’s because I find it so rewarding. I do the operation today, and tomorrow I know I will have the reward of seeing families hugging and smiling and crying with joy.” Dr Mundi’s impact doesn’t stop with restoring sight. He now plays a key role in training the next generation of Pacific eye health workers, passing on the skills and knowledge that Fred valued so deeply. So, cheers 🥂 to the ripple effect of Fred’s vision and the passionate people carrying it forward. https://lnkd.in/gXh-RcsH

Fred Hollows once said, “I’ve always been driven by a need to understand, and to try and recognise the implications of what I’m doing.” His approach was rooted in a deep understanding of the facts. We take this approach, too. We know that research drives effective change that can transform lives. That’s why research and evidence form the base of everything we do. One valuable source of evidence we use to inform our Pacific eye care programme design is the Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness or ‘RAAB’; a population-based survey that gives the prevalence and primary causes of blindness and visual impairment, and the quality, barriers and other indicators of eye care services in a given country. But a RAAB survey can’t be used for small populations, so as part of our State of Eye Health Research Programme, we have recently partnered with The University of Auckland to develop a methodology for surveying small populations of less than 100,000 people.  Like the RAAB survey, the Small Island State Survey (SISS) is being designed as a population-based survey used to collect data that will enable small island states to determine the prevalence of blindness and vision impairment in their 50+ population to inform planning, policy, and resource mobilisation. This methodology can then be applied also to other smaller, defined populations within developed countries, like a prison or aged-care home. This project is being funded with support from the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade. We are excited to develop this pilot and test the survey methodology in partnership with The University of Auckland, so watch this space for future developments!

A two-week outreach in Lae, Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea last month has achieved great progress in providing essential eye care services to underserved populations. Through collaborative efforts between The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ, Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI), Morobe Provincial Health Authority (MoPHA), and other local partners, the outreach successfully saw 765 individuals receive eye care services, with 99 sight-restoring surgeries performed and 288 spectacles dispensed. The outreach incorporated a gender equality, disability and social inclusion (GEDSI) component to ensure that women and persons living with a disability accessed this specialty service through working with women’s groups, arranging special screening days at accessible locations, and the collection of disability data. While 61 per cent of PNG’s needlessly blind are women, the Outreach Team reported seeing a steady increase in women accessing eye services, with 236 females screened during the Lae outreach. Along with delivering crucial screening, checkups, surgeries and treatments for the people of Lae, this outreach supported Dr. Alice Irafa, a recent Foundation-supported ophthalmology graduate, to transition to working as a certified eye doctor. Dr. Alice graduated at the end of last year and is now employed by MoPHA, the largest and most populous authority in PNG with 10 districts. Her expertise, along with that of long-serving Lae ophthalmologist Dr Claudio Aulong, will benefit approximately 680,000 community members who currently have limited access to eye care services.

📣 It’s the end of the financial year! Did you know you can claim 33.33% back on donations of $5 or more to registered charities like The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ? You can even choose to regift your refund — making your generosity go even further and helping restore more sight. 👁️💙 Check out our simple guide on how to claim your tax credit: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dq7547Sj

This is your last week to claim 33% tax back! ⏱️ Donate before 31 March, and you’ll be eligible for a 33% tax rebate through the IRD. Your support will help restore sight for people like Masi, an eight-year-old boy from Fiji who was going blind from cataracts. Thanks to supporters like you, Masi had the surgery he needed and can now see his future clearly. 🧡 Give today and help change lives: https://buff.ly/4hIzzdr

We’re delighted to welcome Lisa Tai to the Board of The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ. Lisa brings a wealth of experience in Pacific leadership, social services, governance, risk management and partnerships. Currently serving as the Chief Operating Officer of the Pasifika Medical Association (PMA), Lisa has an extensive background in professional services, including her role as a Risk Advisory Partner at Deloitte New Zealand. Throughout her career, she has been a strong advocate for integrity, risk management, ethics, and accountability, believing these values are essential to effective governance and meaningful impact. Lisa has worked alongside government agencies, health providers, and social service organisations, leading strategic initiatives to strengthen governance, financial management, and digital transformation. She has also been a key driver in workforce development strategies, with a passion for supporting underrepresented communities and young people. Lisa has a strong commitment to social equity and in joining The Foundation she is eager to champion the right of all people to high-quality and affordable eye care and contribute to building long-term, sustainable solutions. “As a daughter of Rotuma and Fiji, I have always sought opportunities that bring me closer to home and allow me to make a meaningful contribution to our region” she says. “You can’t deny the incredible mission that The Foundation has. What truly drew me in was their commitment to building capacity and capability in-country. I strongly believe in empowering local communities to lead their own solutions, and I was excited by The Foundation's commitment to this cause.” Please join us in warmly welcoming Lisa to The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ. We look forward to her contributions and leadership in advancing our mission! 

📢 We’re #hiring! Are you passionate about fundraising and creating meaningful donor experiences? Join The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ as our Regular Giving & Donor Experience Specialist and help us restore sight and transform lives. In this role, you’ll lead our monthly giving programme, develop engaging donor journeys, and use digital and data-driven strategies to strengthen supporter connections. If you have experience in fundraising, direct marketing, and campaign management, we’d love to hear from you! We offer flexible working, health insurance, additional leave over Christmas, and professional development support. 🔗 Apply now or learn more:

⏳ Time is running out to make a life-changing impact. Fred Hollows believed that no one should go blind when they don’t have to. He knew that by training local eye doctors, they could restore sight in their own communities for years to come. That vision is alive today. Thanks to supporters like you, The Foundation has trained hundreds of eye doctors and nurses across the Pacific, helping people get the sight-saving care they need. But there is still so much more to do. ✨ Donate before 31 March and you’ll be eligible to claim 33% tax back. Your gift will help train more doctors and restore sight to those who need it most. 🙏 Give now: https://buff.ly/4aLYY3R