Con la Vista en Ti (Eyes on You): strabismus surgery for children and young people

Objective

The goal of "Con la Vista en Ti" is to improve the quality of life of 100 low-income children and young people in Ciudad Juárez who have strabismus, through identification, medical assessment, corrective surgery and post-operative follow-up provided by Vision Center México and sponsored by the Rotary Club of Juárez Ejecutivo. Within twelve months the waiting list will be cleared, 100% of pre-operative evaluations and at least 90% of follow-ups will be completed, so that every operated patient shows documented improvement in eye alignment and visual acuity, and families and the community will be trained in early detection.

Project design

"Con la Vista en Ti" (strabismus program) follows a nine-month cycle with these activities:

• Month 1. Outreach and call for candidates. Promotion in neighborhoods and schools of Ciudad Juárez through radio, Canal 44, social media and the club's Health Fairs, plus a kickoff meeting between the sponsoring clubs.
• Month 2. Socioeconomic screening. The club's social worker conducts interviews and socioeconomic studies of pre-candidates to verify their vulnerability; the first community workshop on strabismus awareness and early detection is held.
• Month 3. Medical screening. The Vision Center México medical committee assesses each candidate and confirms the diagnosis and surgical indication until the 50 beneficiaries are selected; pre-operative workshops are held for patients and families.
• Months 4–6. Surgeries. The 50 strabismus surgeries are performed at Vision Center México, with Rotarian and Rotaract volunteers providing support (logistics, transportation and help for families), and post-operative checkups at 24 hours and one week.
• Months 5–7. Follow-up. One-month checkups after each surgery, post-operative care workshops and a supervision visit by the international sponsor club (target: at least 90% of follow-ups completed).
• Month 8. Evaluation. Results are measured through pre- and post-surgery eye alignment and visual acuity, satisfaction and quality-of-life surveys, and a closing community workshop.
• Month 9. Final report. Indicator analysis and submission of the final report to The Rotary Foundation.

Beneficiaries

The direct beneficiaries will be 100 economically vulnerable children and young people from Ciudad Juárez and neighboring municipalities with a confirmed strabismus diagnosis and surgical indication: the 27 currently on the program's waiting list and additional candidates identified through the Health Fairs and outreach to schools in marginalized neighborhoods. They are selected through a socioeconomic study conducted by the club's social worker and an assessment by the Vision Center México medical committee, without discrimination of any kind. Indirect beneficiaries include their families (approximately 500 people) and the communities served, which will receive awareness and early-detection workshops.

Sustainability

"Con la Vista en Ti" is a permanent program that has operated without interruption since 1995, so its results are embedded in a structure that will keep working once the grant ends.

1. Community knowledge: the project grew out of more than 25 years of Health Fairs in marginalized neighborhoods, where the community itself identified children's eye health as a priority. 2. Local participation: teachers, neighborhood leaders, the community health promoter and former beneficiaries refer cases; permanent screening promoters will be trained. 3. Learning: workshops for families, the community and volunteers leave lasting knowledge of early detection and post-operative care. 4. Local procurement: Vision Center México, a local institution with more than 20 years of experience, receives fair compensation (prices close to cost) and enrolls operated patients in its permanent follow-up programs, with a written commitment to continuity; as a 100% services project, there is no equipment to maintain. 5. Local funding: the annual Paul Harris Golf Tournament (more than 20 years running), the administrative agreement with the Municipality of Juárez, and ties with FECHAC and the business sector; the club does not schedule surgeries without secured funding. 6. Measurement: a baseline is recorded for each beneficiary (eye alignment and visual acuity), and the social worker will continue measuring results after the project closes, with continuity guaranteed under the club's next administration.

Partner organizations

• Vision Center México (VCM): the club's surgical partner for more than 12 years, responsible for assessments, surgeries and post-operative follow-up, at prices close to cost and with a written commitment to continuity.
• Civil society and business sector: the Chihuahua Business Foundation (FECHAC) and the local business and maquiladora sector, as complementary sources for the program's future growth.
• Education community: elementary schools in outlying neighborhoods, whose teachers and principals refer students with eye misalignment detected in class and take part in early-detection talks.
• Rotary family: the international sponsor club (El Paso Camino Real, D-5520), contributing U.S. clubs (Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Albuquerque Del Norte and those recruited at the district fair) and Rotaract of Ciudad Juárez, supporting patients and volunteering.
• Media: Canal 44 and local radio stations, which donate airtime for calls for candidates and program promotion.

Monitoring and evaluation

• Number of people reporting better quality of health services: surveys and questionnaires; quarterly; 100–499 beneficiaries.
• Number of beneficiaries receiving surgical treatment (strabismus surgeries): direct observation and clinical records; monthly; 20–49 beneficiaries.
• Number of people trained (patients and family members in pre- and post-operative workshops, attendees of community early-detection talks): attendance lists and workshop records; per event or monthly; 100–499 beneficiaries.
• Number of volunteers and community promoters trained (Rotarians, Rotaract members, teachers and neighborhood leaders, in screening and referral): attendance lists; per event; 20–49 beneficiaries.
• Improvement in eye alignment and visual acuity (pre/post): Vision Center México clinical records; per surgical cohort; 50 beneficiaries.

Implementation year

2027