Galbraith’s background as a military optometrist has given him a unique skill set that’s especially valuable in mobile clinics. After participating in several humanitarian trips with another organization, Galbraith and his family felt inspired to create something more structured.

“I invited some friends to help me start our humanitarian project,” Galbraith said. “We wanted to create eye care solutions that make a real difference and build and empower strong local partnerships. Our team is made up of volunteer optometrists and support staff who share a passion for service and sustainable healthcare.”

In 2023, Eagle Vision Worldwide’s mission statement grew directly out of what they saw during their early trips and volunteer experiences: “….to serve others one by one by ensuring that everyone has access to quality vision care, regardless of their financial situation. We believe that everyone has the right to see clearly, and we strive to make that a reality for as many people as possible.”

The organization has helped people in Uganda, Fiji, Guyana, Ukraine, Guatemala and elsewhere.

Courtesy Eagle Vision Worldwide

“We realized that many people around the world live with vision problems that are easily treatable — like needing glasses or cataract surgery,” Galbraith said. “We needed to focus on making quality vision care accessible and ensure that no one is overlooked.”

Eagle Vision Worldwide typically focuses on rural areas based on a combination of need, strong local connections and limited access to vision care.

“Many volunteers already have personal or professional connections in the communities we visit, which help us build trust and coordinate more effectively on the ground,” Galbraith said. “We also prioritize areas where Charity Vision, one of our partners, has partnerships with ophthalmologists, so we can refer patients for cataract surgeries at a greatly reduced cost or sometimes completely free for those who can’t afford it.”

Organizing a humanitarian trip with Eagle Vision Worldwide combines logistics, relationship-building and a strong focus on sustainable, community-driven service. Planning begins months in advance as they work closely with clinic directors, school and church leaders and community health workers to determine clinic sites, patient flow, culturally appropriate communication and transportation of thousands of glasses and other supplies.

“These incredible community and school leaders play a crucial role in coordinating the clinics,” said Emily Self, another volunteer. “Without them, we wouldn’t be able to reach the community effectively. We’ve been blown away by the kindness and willingness people have shown in helping us make these trips possible. The local leaders always go above and beyond to help us with meals and transportation as well.”

Courtesy Eagle Vision Worldwide

The communities love to host eye clinics and often volunteer alongside the doctors and other volunteers.

“Most community members have never been to an eye clinic, and our clinics draw huge numbers,” Galbraith said. “Usually we don’t open until 9 a.m., but people begin walking from their homes at 5:30 a.m. hoping to see an eye doctor. By the time we arrive, hundreds of patients are already waiting patiently in long lines. One time, we had planned to finish by 6 p.m., but we couldn’t turn them away knowing this might be their only opportunity to receive vision care. We stayed until 8:30 p.m. and ended up seeing 730 patients that day.”

Eagle Vision Worldwide also offers additional educational and humanitarian services at their eye clinics. Various Brigham Young University students and other volunteers provide basic healthcare training to the people.

“In addition to eye care services, we often include workshops on women’s health, basic and feminine hygiene care, nutrition, marriage relationships, malaria prevention, basic first aid and other important health practices,” said Quinn Galbraith, Galbraith’s brother. “These sessions help support overall well-being and empower community members with practical knowledge they can use every day.”

Eagle Vision Worldwide works with a variety of partners to fulfill its mission. One such partner is Essilor, which has a goal to donate 1 million pairs of glasses each year, including specialty glasses that help with astigmatism. Eagle Vision Worldwide orders its glasses from Essilor, which then ships them to the locations where Eagle Vision Worldwide will be working.

Courtesy Eagle Vision Worldwide

Another partner, Charity Vision Worldwide, headquartered in Provo, provides cataract surgeries and has a presence in 15 countries. World Vision screens the patients and gives the list to Charity Vision, which contracts with in-country ophthalmologists to provide the surgeries for free or at a highly reduced rate.

“Cataract surgery is life-changing for not only the patients but for the families that care for them,” Shawn Galbraith said. “When an older person develops cataracts, they cannot see. After a 20-minute surgery, the patient literally goes from being blind to seeing clearly. The patient and their family pay what they can, and Charity Vision pitches in the rest.”

For Eagle Vision Worldwide, success means listening closely to community needs, working respectfully alongside local partners and making sure their efforts are practical, thoughtful and sustainable.

“We don’t measure success by numbers alone. Instead, we focus on whether the services we offer are genuinely helpful and welcomed by the communities we work with,” Quinn Galbraith said. “While we don’t currently have formal systems in place to track long-term impact, we’re mindful of our social footprint and are always looking for ways to improve.”

Their biggest successes have been the individual lives they have supported through something as simple, yet impactful, as a pair of glasses. “In many communities, we’ve met people who’ve gone years without clear vision, not because help wasn’t available but because the cost of glasses put them out of reach,” Dr. Galbraith said.

Courtesy Eagle Vision Worldwide

Another aspect of success came from a small town on the shore of Lake Atitlán in Guatemala where most of the women make a living weaving textiles. Many of the older women hadn’t been able to work for years because of their declining vision.

“It was wild to see how a pair of reading glasses that costs about a dollar in the States could be so out of reach for them — and how something that simple could literally be the difference in helping them support their families,” Self said.

Shawn Galbraith believes success is seeing a man who had such bad cataracts in his eyes that he needed to hold onto his son’s arm to walk since he couldn’t see even a foot in front of him.

“Literally, with the help of Charity Vision, he received his surgery, and we inserted new lens so that his vision was completely restored,” he said. “It is amazing how excited the people are to receive their first pair of glasses or have cataract surgery and realize they can now see the world.”

Volunteers are important to any nonprofit. Many volunteers are close family members and friends of Shawn Galbraith and Quinn, although they actively reach out to other individuals who might be a great fit for the trip. Additionally, all volunteers cover their own travel expenses and dedicate a week away from work or school to serve underserved communities.

Courtesy Eagle Vision Worldwide

“We especially look for people who have experience in the countries we’re serving,” Quinn Galbraith said. “Over the years, a growing number of our volunteers have been BYU students studying pre-med, international development, global health and nonprofit work who are passionate about healthcare and desire to make a difference in the world by obtaining some meaningful hands-on experience.”

Even with the fast pace, volunteers take the time to talk with people, which is what volunteers love the most.” One such volunteer, Kate Hardy, said, “Even though things moved fast, I loved getting the chance to chat with people and hear their stories. Connecting with them is what made the whole experience really special for me.”

Quinn Galbraith and Dave Rowe, another volunteer, took a boat to a remote village. As they approached the local church house where they treated patients, they could hear children playing nearby. They walked over to a grade school. With the principal’s permission, they began screening hundreds of children.

“What we discovered was 10 children who needed glasses,” Quinn Galbraith said. “We took them to the church where we were doing screenings. We gave them their prescription and new glasses. They were so excited to be able to see the chalkboard. The best part was that almost all of the teachers ended up with a pair of glasses as well.”

Quinn’s wife and volunteer, Heidi Galbraith, said, “One of my highlights was the 98-year-old man in Uganda who was so excited to get his first pair of reading glasses. He thanked us profusely and was so excited to be able to read the Bible again.”

Courtesy photo

On one of the trips to Guatemala, Debbie Rowe, a volunteer from Springville, met Geraldine, a 15-year-old young woman. Apparently, Geraldine heard about the one-day clinic and wanted to connect her community to their services.

“Geraldine knew that Eagle Vision couldn’t come to her community, so she contacted her mayor and together found 70 people needing eye care and chartered two buses to make the two-hour trip to the clinic,” Debbie said. “Everyone left with either reading or distance glasses. We were so proud to see Geraldine’s leadership to help her group with their vision needs.”

One of Eagle Vision’s greatest challenges is finding enough volunteer optometrists. “We want to invite optometrists to come with us because of the huge need for them where we serve, and it isn’t necessary for them to speak Spanish, although that is a plus,” Shawn Galbraith said.

The future of Eagle Vision Worldwide is bright and focused on helping more people. They have a genuine desire to make a real, sustainable difference and are committed to making vision care more accessible for individuals and communities around the world.

“We need to be doing what we’re doing and to expand so that we can help more people!” Dr. Galbraith said. “We’re always looking for more optometrists who are willing to help us help others. Our mission continues to guide everything we do and motivates us to keep growing and improving.”

If people and other optometrists want to connect with or donate to Eagle Vision Worldwide, go to eaglevisionworldwide.org, send an email to eaglevisionworldwide@gmail.com or find the organization on Instagram at instagram.com/eaglevisionworldwide.