AECID visits the Eyes of the Sahara project
A delegation from the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) travelled to the Sahrawi refugee camps and visited two of the Eyes of the world projects that have received funding from the agency: the Ophthalmology Centre at Rabuni National Hospital and the Bechar Ophthalmology Centre.
On 6 May, Jaime Puyoles, general coordinator of Spanish Cooperation in Algeria, and Javier Morera, head of Programmes, both from the AECID’s Technical Cooperation Office in Algeria, visited the facilities of the Ophthalmology Centre at the Bachir Saleh Hospital in Rabuni, accompanied by the Eyes of the world team. This centre was inaugurated in 2023 and was established with the aim of improving eye care for the Sahrawi refugee population in the camps and bringing all services together under one roof. The delegation visited all the facilities: the ophthalmology clinic, the refractive clinic, the visual therapy clinic, the spectacle assembly workshop, the frames room and the offices. The work carried out at this centre is impressive: every month, an average of 700 people are treated and around 600 pairs of prescription spectacles are assembled.
On 12 May, Eyes of the world welcomed Jaime Puyoles back to the Ophthalmology Centre in the Bechar wilaya. This project was launched in 2021 to provide specialist care for people with eye conditions referred from the camps. Eyes of the world facilitates patient transport, manages the maintenance of the centre and covers all costs relating to rent, supplies, food, etc., and is also involved in the process of referring and monitoring patients.
During the visit, Jaime Puyoles had the opportunity to speak with the centre’s staff and some patients to hear about their experiences. Later, Eyes of the world gave an update on the project, outlining all the results achieved in 2025. The day concluded with a meeting with Cuban specialists from the referral hospital to discuss their work, the challenges they face, the improvements made… and to express their full support for the Bechar project.