Eye and Ear Mission 2026

Five days of service in the Philippines brought renewed hope, improved sight and a lasting impact on patients, volunteers and future health professionals.

 

 

                                   

 

The Rotary Club of Canterbury’s 27th annual Sight and Hearing Mission in Masbate, the Philippines, has once again demonstrated the life-changing difference that international humanitarian service can make.

 

Held from 5–9 October 2026, the mission brought together Australian volunteers including from the Rotary Club of Canterbury, Rotary Club of Drouin, local health professionals, the Rotary Club of Masbate and the Philippines EYEhEAR Foundation, Inc. to provide eye and ear screening and treatment for people in need.

 

The mission’s reported results included 575 eye operations and treatments, comprising 358 cataract surgeries and 217 other eye surgeries. The statistics also recorded 146 pairs of spectacles dispensed, 40 ocular medication items and 12 referrals to other programmes or specialists.

 

 

 

 

Behind every statistic was a person, a family and the prospect of a better quality of life. For someone who has struggled with blurred vision for years, restored sight can mean greater independence, renewed confidence and the ability to participate more fully in family and community life.

 

 

The mission also included screening activities reaching schoolchildren and community members. Eye and ear screening brought care directly to children and adults, helping identify needs that might otherwise have gone unrecognised.

 

Four final-year Orthoptics students from La Trobe University—Francesca Lucot, Katherine Almaari, Ebrar Bayraktar and Inas Bapeera—joined the mission, gaining valuable practical experience while contributing to the delivery of care.

 

 

 

For student Katherine Almaari, the experience was deeply personal. She reflected on how the mission changed her appreciation of access to healthcare and everyday privileges often taken for granted. She was particularly moved by the happiness a child showed on receiving a simple sticker, and by the kindness, gratitude and trust of the local community. The experience strengthened her desire to continue humanitarian work and helped shape her approach to patient care: seeing each person not simply as a patient, but as an individual with their own story, hopes and challenges.

The mission was made possible through collaboration, careful preparation and the commitment of volunteers and local partners. It also provided an opportunity for international fellowship, shared learning and the strengthening of relationships between the participating organisations.

 

                       

 

The project was delivered with the support of a Rotary Foundation District Grant, which supports travel and accommodation for the four La Trobe University students.

 

The Masbate mission is a powerful reminder of Rotary’s ability to bring people together in service. Its impact is measured not only in operations performed or services delivered, but also in the dignity, independence and hope that better sight and hearing can help restore.