Charity of the week: Orbis International

Of the 285 million people around the world who suffer from visual impairment, 80 percent have conditions that are either treatable or preventable. Orbis International (orbis.org) aims to eliminate such avoidable blindness by bringing direct treatment and training to some of the world’s poorest countries. Since 1982, Orbis has treated more than 15 million people in 89 countries for cataracts, corneal disease, glaucoma, childhood blindness, and other conditions. The organization has also trained more than 285,000 ophthalmologists, nurses, and health-care workers around the world. This year alone, its unique Flying Eye Hospital, a state-of-the-art DC-10 jet equipped with a classroom and an operating room, has brought training and treatment programs to Syria, Nigeria, Mongolia, and Peru.

Each charity we feature has earned a four-star overall rating from Charity Navigator, which ranks not-for-profit organizations on the strength of their finances, their control of administrative and fund-raising expenses, and the transparency of their operations. Four stars is the group’s highest ranking.

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