ACS International Schools have been supporting Orbis since 2003 and have donated over £500,000 since the beginning of the partnership. Since its inception, more than 60 students have travelled to Orbis programmes in Vietnam, China, India, Tanzania and Mongolia among others.
In June 2019, the students visited Can Tho, Vietnam where Orbis implements various programmes alongside partner hospitals and other organisations.
They took part in a number of activities that were designed to give them an overall understanding of the work that Orbis does to reduce avoidable blindness. The students visited partner hospitals, interviewed eye health professionals, witnessed live eye surgeries and interacted with patients plus their families during visits to their homes.
They also got to soak in a bit of Vietnam’s vibrant culture during a brief stopover in Hanoi and during their stay in the Mekong Delta region. Aiden (ACS Student internship, Vietnam, 2019) says: