VOSH opens eyes in Malawi

Last summer, optometry student Abarnaa Arithas joined VOSH on an eye-opening trip to Malawi—an experience that shaped her vision for the future.

By Kavya Piraba

The Waterloo student chapter of Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity (VOSH) went on its second annual eye care trip to Malawi in 2025. Over the course of six days, the team of eight students, three optometrists and one optician treated a total of 1,453 patients, distributed 431 pairs of glasses and had 94 pairs of glasses custom made.

The team included two School alumni, Drs. Aisha Lillywhite (OD ’22) and Tanya Sitter (OD ’04) and also Dr. Jason Pearce. The 10-day trip left a lasting impression on Abarnaa Arithas, the Malawi team lead and third-year optometry student. The trip was organized by Canadian Vision Care (CVC) and supported by funding from the Dean of Science Office.

Visiting my mother’s village in Sri Lanka changed how I see the world. Few people wore glasses and many had never had an eye exam. That absence of eye care felt normal there—and that often remained unchanged after families immigrated. I didn’t get my first eye exam until Grade Seven, despite having a high prescription, largely because myopia wasn’t common in my parents’ rural upbringing. I was lucky someone noticed when my grades slipped, but I kept thinking about the kids in Sri Lanka who might have been overlooked for the same reason.

That experience made vision care personal and urgent for me. Sight is essential to independence and access to education, work and family life—things we consider basic rights. Recognizing vision as foundational to quality of life is what drives my work. It’s why I joined VOSH and later took on an executive role —so fewer people slip through the cracks. Through VOSH, I learned the practical logistics of outreach: booking spaces, coordinating with local health-care workers and managing details I hadn’t considered until I was doing the work.

I chose the Malawi trip with Canadian Vision Care because their student-led, service-focused model resonates with my long-term goals. CVC was founded by University of Waterloo optometry students in 1980, and I see it as a pathway to one day organizing similar vision trips in Sri Lanka. My hope is to help build sustainable programs that ensure children and adults don’t miss out on education, work or belonging simply because they can’t see.

From the moment we landed, the places we stayed felt surreal, with open savannahs and peaceful beaches that none of us expected while focused on clinical work. On our long drives, we saw breathtaking sunrises, and returning each night to the shoreline was a nice reward after long days at the clinic. Dr. Allan Jones of CVC, who helped meticulously organize the trip, organized our stay so we were comfortable and safe the whole time, even though our accommodations were varied, from simple tents to upscale resorts.

The clinic days were full of small, unforgettable moments. Watching people put on reading glasses for the first time was deeply moving and it was so rewarding when a patient was able to read their Bible again after years. Even though the care we could provide was often limited, patients stood in line for hours in the heat and walked long distances to be seen, and their appreciation never wavered.

Meeting the locals was surprising—some spoke fluent English, while others didn’t at all. It was heartwarming to see people in line help translate for one another, showing how tight-knit the community is. Another highlight was bonding with our van drivers, who shared music and stories during our travels. They made us feel truly part of the community.

We encountered many advanced eye conditions we couldn’t treat, as they required lifelong medication that we couldn’t provide. It was disheartening to find cases where proper care could have preserved vision, yet all we could offer were glasses — often not even the exact prescription. We had little time to counsel patients, and unlike in Canada where precision matters to avoid discomfort, we simply did the best we could. Despite working nonstop from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. without food or breaks, we couldn’t see everyone who lined up. Wearing the same sweaty clinic shirt, pushing through exhaustion day after day — it was tough, but we kept going for the patients. Most of the challenges we faced, we overcame by leaning on one another for moral support.

Dr. Darren Gigliozzi held a workshop a week before departure to teach us key skills for low-resource environments—like using handheld slit lamps, tonometry, and trial lenses for quick prescriptions. Throughout the term, we also practiced our clinical skills to prepare.

I began planning with CVC in September 2024 to organize volunteers and equipment, which made the trip run smoothly. CVC was incredibly helpful throughout the process and I learned a lot about planning a large-scale vision trip through them. I also launched a GoFundMe that raised $1,310 to help CVC cover the cost of glasses.

I’m so grateful we got to experience this trip — it gave us a newfound appreciation for the care we receive here. The culture shift was eye-opening since here, people often get their glasses redone multiple times if they’re not perfect, while there, even with significantly under-corrected prescriptions, patients were incredibly grateful just to see more clearly again. The optometrists from CVC were also incredibly helpful — they maintained a fine balance of giving us learning opportunities while also prioritizing efficiency, so as many patients could be seen as possible. I’m grateful to be part of a profession that lets me help people around the world and to be an optometry student with opportunities to make a real difference. I’m especially thankful for VOSH and the chances it gives students like me. Reflecting on this journey, it truly solidified my dream of continuing these trips as an optometrist and made that goal feel attainable. 

Of course, and I’d like to go someplace where I can go every single year to establish continuity of care. I could also help train people there to take care of the community while I’m not there. I see myself taking what I’ve learned on this trip and establishing something in Sri Lanka, since it would be incredibly meaningful to me.