Iris Asia : About Us

BACKGROUND TO IRIS

IRIS was established in 1996, by Michele Claudel and John Stewart, primarily in response to eye care needs identified amongst the poorest of the poor in Cambodia. Since then, support has been extended to eye care development programs in Nepal and Lao PDR and more recently Sri Lanka.

Serving as trustees of IRIS are two highly experienced Consultant Ophthalmologists who advise on all medical matters and who have themselves made significant personal contributions to the improvement of eye care services in developing countries.

Since 1997, IRIS has financed an annual eye camp programme in remote rural areas of Cambodia. Having also built, staffed and funded Cambodia’s first provincial eye clinic, IRIS now subsidises blindness prevention surgeries for poor people at six eye clinics in the provinces of Kampong Cham (2), Siem Reap, Battambang, Pursat and Kampot.

Since 2000, IRIS has funded health care and eye camp activities of IRIS Nepal, a local voluntary organisation.

In 2005, IRIS supported 3 eye care development programmes in the Lao People's Democratic Republic.

In 2006, IRIS extended financial support to eye care initiates in Sri Lanka.

 FINANCE

Future sustainability of IRIS development programs depends on our being able to attract new sources of funds, as well as maintaining on-going financial support from those individuals, foundations and grant-making organizations that have so generously supported IRIS in the past.

To achieve all targets set for our country programs between 2008 & 2010, IRIS needs to fundraise US$1.5 million.

 Doing so will enable new eye clinics in remote, rural areas to be established and equipped and approx. 15,000 people, who are amongst the poorest of the poor, to have their sight restored by surgery or to access refraction services, free-of-charge.

 IRIS trustees oversee and approve all financial transactions and receive detailed monthly financial reports from the Field Director. IRIS operates a robust financial management system that requires receipts to support all income and expenditure transactions. An annual audit report for each country program is produced by an independent firm of auditors.