The Fred Hollows Foundation has been working to end avoidable blindness and restore sight for 30 years. With the support of generous Australians, The Foundation is able to carry on Fred’s vision of a world where no one is needlessly blind.
“It’s obscene to let people go blind when they don’t have to.”
- Fred Hollows
The Foundation is one of Australia’s best-known charities and a global leader in eye health and international development. We continue the vital work of renowned Australian ophthalmologist and humanitarian,
Professor Fred Hollows, who passed away in 1993.
In 1992, it was our Founding Director,
Gabi Hollows, who convinced Fred to establish a foundation that would carry on his work and make high quality eye care available in under-served communities right around the world, including remote
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Australia.
“In the months leading up to his passing, Fred was a man on a mission to ensure the work he started would continue and the promises he made would be honoured,” Gabi recalls.
“I know Fred would be looking down on us in wonder. I don’t think he would have dreamt that 30 years on we would still be doing this work he started. I know he would be so proud and thankful.”
- Gabi Hollows
The Foundation is unique in its approach. Not only do we support treatment for patients, we also equip hospitals, train eye health workers and collaborate with local health authorities, community leaders and other relevant partners to empower local people to provide sustainable long term services.
“Over the past 30 years, The Fred Hollows Foundation has accepted the challenge to deliver sight-saving surgery and treatments to
people living in some of the most challenging places,” Gabi Hollows says.
The Foundation is proud of its record of training future generations of eye doctors, building local eye health capacity, driving innovation and advocating for the integration of eye health in national health systems.
But none of this would be possible, if it wasn’t for everyday Australians who believe in an equitable world where everyone is free to exercise their basic human right to good sight.
“We couldn’t achieve this without the incredible support of the Australian public over these past three decades,” Gabi Hollows says.
Learn more
Learn more about The Fred Hollows Foundation and our work:
“Caring about other people is what being a human is all about, and I have great faith in the humanitarian nature of the Average Australian.”
- Fred Hollows