Dr Sharif recently travelled to Bangladesh to see how the Eye Care Program is progressing. SHEBA or Social Help Endeavour for Bangladesh is a Melbourne based non-profit organization. It is registered with The Consumer Affairs Victoria (Reg no: A0049495D) since its inception in 2007 and also registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profit Commission (ACNC). SHEBA has been granted a Tax Concession Charity (TCC) and Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status by the Australian Taxation Office. Hence all donations made in Australia are tax deductible.
The SHEBA Eye Care Program faced initial challenges in successfully transferring the funds into Bangladesh. After lengthy processes this has now been resolved.
The program launched on 30 October 2023 with the first eye camps in Kazihal, Fulbari and Dinajpur. The awareness campaign targeted 30,000 people with the objective of screening 3,000 through the 25 eye camps. Screening includes errors of refraction, Glaucoma, Diabetic Retinopathy and cataract. Over 500 pairs of spectacles were also distributed at the eye camps to those in need.
The photo shows some of the many patients benefiting from this program.
