We strive for eye care to be locally-led and accessible to all. The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ is now officially over 30 years old, and what an inspired and industrious 30 years it has been. The accomplishments are far too many to mention here, but what I would like to say is that nothing could have been achieved without our donors who have faithfully supported us over the years β it is because of you that we can continue to play an integral role in eliminating avoidable blindness across the Pacific.
Last year, we celebrated an impressive achievement: supporting the training of over eye care specialists in the Pacific since we began working in the region. These eye care specialists, who have gone on to provide eye care in their own communities, are testament to the hard work and dedication of The Foundation and its Pacific partners. I would like to also make note here of both the past and present Trustees, whose contribution to the direction of The Foundation over the years, has helped to enable the organisation to get to where it is today.
Leo is a chartered accountant and retired partner from PwC. Lady Roslyn is the former first lady of Papua New Guinea, and with her extensive experience of working in the country, she will bring great insight to our work in this area.
This is significant as the awards recognise outstanding financial reporting among registered charities. I would like to acknowledge the fantastic work of everybody that is involved in the production of this report. Finally, I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone that sits under the wonderful umbrella of Team Fred - our staff, our donors, our supporters, our stakeholders, our Trustees and our Pacific partners.
All these people have helped make a great year for The Foundation. We remain steadfast in our core focus of training a Pacific regional eye care workforce. This programme will develop the evidence that decision-makers across the Pacific require to strengthen eye health plans and policies to enable sustainable eye health services. We also signed a multi-year partnership agreement with the Government of Samoa and extended our agreements with the Governments of Tonga and Fiji, reflecting our commitment to working respectfully with Pacific governments as they continue to determine, lead, and strengthen their own eye health systems.
