Every Child Deserves to See Their Future Clearly

In classrooms across Cambodia, hundreds of thousands of students were struggling to read the board — not because they couldn't learn, but because they couldn't see. We're changing that, one school, one same day pair of glasses, at a time.

AT A GLANCE

• 1,113 Schools Reached

• 548,513 Students Screened

• 22,631 Teachers Screened

• 7 Teams Nationwide

Operating in Cambodia since 2024, and growing every week.

Sight Is the Foundation of Learning

Caris Foundation International Cambodia’s aim is to ensure that no child in Cambodia is held back by treatable vision problems such as myopia (short sightedness) and hyperopia (long sightedness). We provide free eye care to every student in Cambodia's government secondary and high schools — screening, prescribing, and fitting and providing glasses on the same day and at no cost to families. Our target is to reach all 1,029,993 children enrolled in secondary and high schools nationwide by mid 2027. Following the completion of the mission in 2027, Caris’ Clear Vision for Children in Cambodia will continue to re-screen children countrywide alongside with other new initiatives to help the people of Cambodia.

Uncorrected vision is one of the most common, and most overlooked, barriers to a child's education. A student who can't see the board falls behind — not from a lack of ability, but from a lack of access. We close that gap at national scale, in partnership with the Cambodian government and the world's leading vision-care organizations.

A Fast-Growing National Program

Caris Foundation International Cambodia has been operating since 2024, with 7 screening teams strategically positioned across the country. In just over two years, we have grown into one of the largest school-based vision care programs in Cambodia — already reaching over half a million students nationwide.

A FLAGSHIP PROGRAM

Clear Vision for Children in Cambodia

Clear Vision for Children in Cambodia brings professional eye care directly into government secondary and high schools — no clinic visit, no cost, and no time lost from learning.

• Our teams test the vision of every student and teacher using specially adapted visual acuity charts.

• Screenings take place inside the classroom, so lessons are never disrupted.

• Students who need correction are prescribed and fitted with glasses the same day, using our Ready2Clip frame-and-lens system.

• Each screening team can test and treat around 1,000 students in a single day.

• Children choose from a range of frame styles and colors, so their glasses are something to be proud of.

• Teachers are screened too, and those who need reading glasses or sunglasses receive them at no charge.

The result is simple and immediate: a child who couldn't see the board in the morning can see it clearly by the afternoon — and stays in school to prove it.

Care That Reaches the Hardest-to-Reach

Our commitment doesn't stop at the school gate. During school vacations, our teams travel to rural communities to extend vision care to primary school children, older people, and families in areas where eye care is otherwise out of reach. Where the need is greatest, we also support cataract and pterygium surgeries in partnership with local health services — restoring sight to people who might otherwise never receive treatment.

Measurable Results, Nationwide

Since 2024, our work is reaching every corner of Cambodia:

• 1,113 Schools Reached

• 548,513 Students Screened

• 22,631 Teachers Screene

• 21 Communities Reached

• 7,917 People Screened Through Community Outreach

• 1,029,993 Children Targeted Nationwide by mid 2027

Every dot on our national reach map represents a real school, a real classroom, and real children who can now see clearly.

RECOGNIZED NATIONWIDE

Working Alongside Cambodia's Leaders in Vision Care and Government

Caris Foundation International Cambodia operates in close collaboration with the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation Fund, the global leader in vision care access, and with the Royal Government of Cambodia.

We are honored to work with H.E. Dr. KAN Channmeta, High Representative of H.E. Akka Pundit Sopheacha Aun Pornmoniroth, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance.

On the ground, we work hand-in-hand with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, the National Program for Eye Health, school directors, village chiefs, and local health centers — ensuring every screening is welcomed, trusted, and sustained by the communities we serve.

A Program Built to Last

From a standing start in 2024 to seven teams operating nationwide, Caris Foundation International Cambodia has become one of the country's largest school-based vision care programs — built on rigorous screening, same-day treatment, and close partnership with government and global vision-care leaders. Every number on this page represents a child who can now see the board, read a book, and stay in school.

Caris Foundation Malaysia is working in Sabah to assist vulnerable communities. Sabah is a Malaysian state located on the northern part of the island of Borneo, in East Malaysia. Despite its rich natural resources and biodiversity, Sabah is home to many of Malaysia’s poorest districts, particularly in rural and remote areas where communities face ongoing challenges related to poverty, infrastructure and access to essential services.

Eye Screening

We have an agreement with the Sabah Education Ministry to screen the vision of schoolchildren from government schools and alternative learning centers, schoolteachers and staff, as well as members of vulnerable communities. We will be screening the students within all the State Secondary schools, to cover the 100,000 students enrolled. Glasses are provided on the same day for those who need them. Our team travels to the schools to provide the service, avoiding disruption to learning. Many children who have correctable visual impairments cannot access prescription glasses and are at risk of falling behind with their studies. We have screened 65 schools and 37326 individuals since September 2024 and provided 6446 glasses. This is supported through donations of glasses from the Essilor Luxottica OneSight Foundation.

Dental Outreach

We have sponsored 14 dental outreaches in partnership with local dentists. These outreaches aim to serve communities with poor access to dental services, and 253 patients with significant dental disease have been treated since September 2025. Our outreach provides care to those who simply could not access any form of dentistry.

To prevent the high level of dental decay we are observing within the communities we work in, toothbrushes and toothpaste are provided for students in 3 community learning centers. The students are taught about the importance of dental hygiene and so the students have at least one toothbrushing session supervised by a teacher daily.

COMMUNITY HEALTH PROMOTION

Hypertension

We provide blood pressure sets and train community members of marginalized communities to screen the blood pressure of people from their own villages. 9444 people from 8 villages have been screened. 340 people who have difficulty accessing antihypertensives have had their medications sponsored.

Community School Health

We have trained 13 teachers from 4 community learning centers to provide health education to students from their community schools and over 250 children have been reached. Students are provided with deworming pills twice a year. 1174 students, their families and community members have been dewormed.

We also distribute recycled soap to 3 community learning centers and 7 villages to promote hygiene and hand-washing. Used soap from Le Meridien Hotel is disinfected, dried and given to the students and community members to use at home. More than 250kg of soap has been distributed so far.

Nathaniel Segaren

ASIA Director

Dr. Nathaniel Segaren, MD, MRCPCH, MA, MPH, MBA is a Pediatrician, who trained at Cambridge University, UK. In Cambodia we are working, in partnership with the Government, to screen and treat correctable visual problems within all students enrolled in government Secondary schools nationally. This program (1.02 million students)  is carried out through our 6 regional offices and allows us to provide same day, ‘on the spot’ prescription glasses to students and their teachers. In Sabah, Malaysia the team is working to serve the health needs of some of the most vulnerable and poor communities within the country. Helping with primary education, health promotion, WASH and non-communicable diseases out teams provide direct community services. The team are also providing eye services to every State secondary school within Sabah, a population of over 100,000 students. 

Evelyn Dusing

Malaysia Deputy Director

Dr. Evelyn Dusing is a medical doctor who has worked in the Malaysian government health system for 22 years before joining Caris. She studied at the International Medical University in Kuala Lumpur as a Yayasan Sabah Scholar. Her work focuses on underserved communities who have poor access to health care and other basic services. She is motivated by the desire to make the best use of available resources, to provide the highest possible quality of services to people who need them. Working within Caris has given her the opportunity to engage with many different populations in a wide range of work. This involves eye screening, disease prevention and WASH interventions throughout Sabah. She is passionate about finding creative solutions to health challenges faced by the communities we serve. 

Vith Viyuth

cambodia Deputy Director

Vith Viyuth serves as Deputy Director of Caris Foundation International Cambodia. He holds a Master’s degree in Law, along with Bachelor’s degrees in Law and Teaching English as a Foreign Language. Before joining Caris, he worked in government, legal services, education, and NGO-related activities, gaining experience in project management, administration, stakeholder engagement, and community-focused initiatives, including eye health. He chose to work with Caris because it gives him the opportunity to touch people’s lives in a positive and meaningful way. Throughout his work, he has been guided by a simple belief: we may meet some people only once in our lifetime, so whenever we have the opportunity to touch someone’s life, we should leave them with kindness, care, compassion, and love. This belief inspires him to serve others and contribute to work that brings hope, dignity, and positive change to communities.