We are the Cardiff Optometry Malawi Outreach Team 2026, a group of 13 student optometrists from Cardiff University preparing to travel to Malawi in September 2026 for a two-week outreach project. Alongside Peter Hong MBE and Sharon Beatty, we will be working in rural communities to deliver essential eye care to people who would otherwise have little to no access.

During our time there, we will provide sight tests, eye health screenings and prescription glasses. This will help to detect and manage sight threatening conditions such as cataracts, trachoma and glaucoma. Additionally, we will visit local Hospitals and Universities to support and train students in refraction and core optometry skills, helping to strengthen local eye care services so that our impact continues long after our return home.

To make this possible, we are fundraising to cover the cost of equipment, spectacles and vital surgical treatment. In Malawi, £30 is enough to fund a cataract operation. This is a simple procedure that can completely restore someone’s sight. In one of the world’s poorest countries, this cost can represent around a year’s wage, meaning treatment is often out of reach for those who need it most.

We are very passionate about the impact this outreach can have. Malawi has a population of around 22 million people, yet there are approximately only 100 optometrists in the entire country, this equates to one optometrist per 220,000 people.

In addition to fundraising, we are collecting unwanted glasses to take with us. Any old pairs, regardless of age or prescription, can be reused to help restore someone’s vision or support the training of local optometry students. If you have glasses you would like to donate, please get in touch with a member of our team.

Any donation, big or small, will directly support our work and help transform lives through the gift of sight. Thank you so much for your support.

If you want to follow our progress or learn more about the common eye conditions we'll be helping out with, follow us on our team Instagram @cardiffoptomoutreach2026. Or contact us on [email redacted]

Thank you again, Malawi team 2026