Reduce avoidable blindness
Subsidised and free high-quality eye care for underserved populations.
Registered NGO · Dodoma, Tanzania
Restoring sight.
Renewing lives.
Onesha Community Health Foundation champions a better quality of life through accessible healthcare, vision restoration, education support and community empowerment, starting with avoidable blindness in Dodoma Region.
Clinical partner: Optiview Specialised Eye Clinic, Dodoma
OneshaVisual acuity · 6 m
Registered NGONo. NGO/R/10044 · 7 Aug 2026
Dodoma RegionPrimary area of operation
24-month programmeCommunity Vision Restoration
~100,000 peopleProgramme target reach
In the community
Eye care that goes to where people live
Screening days under the trees, conversations with families, and clinical care close to home: the community-to-treatment model our programme is built on.
IllustrationWhy eye health
Most blindness is avoidable. That's why it can't wait.
The leading causes of vision loss worldwide, cataract and uncorrected refractive error, can be treated with a short operation or a pair of spectacles. When care is out of reach, the cost falls on the whole household: children miss school, adults lose work, and older people lose their independence.
Onesha exists to close that gap for the rural and underserved communities of Dodoma Region.
Why Onesha exists
2.2 billion
people worldwide live with a near or distance vision impairment.
1 billion+
of those cases could have been prevented or have yet to be addressed.
Source: World Health Organization, Blindness and vision impairment fact sheet.
Flagship programme
Community Vision Restoration & Eye Health Programme
An integrated community-to-treatment model that follows each person from the first conversation in their village to a measured improvement in how they see.
24months
~100,000people, target reach
1focus region: Dodoma
- EducateCommunity eye-health education and mobilisation
- ScreenEye-health screening close to home
- ReferClinical assessment and a clear referral pathway
- TreatCataract surgery, spectacles and specialist care
- Follow upPost-operative care and low-vision support
- MeasureMonitoring of visual outcomes
What we set out to do
Five commitments that guide our work
Safe cataract surgery
Better access to cataract surgery for vulnerable and rural communities, with improved visual outcomes.
Spectacles for those in need
Affordable or free refractive services and quality optical correction.
Early detection & continuity
Outreach, screening, referral and low-vision assessment and rehabilitation.
Stronger health systems
Training, mentorship, partnerships and mobilising philanthropic and donor resources.
Our vision
“To build healthy, empowered, and resilient communities.”
Our mission
To champion improved quality of life through accessible healthcare, vision restoration, education support and community empowerment initiatives.
Where we work
Rooted in Dodoma. Serving Tanzania Mainland.
We operate across the United Republic of Tanzania (Mainland), with our primary focus on Dodoma Region: its rural villages, its towns and the families furthest from specialist care.
- Head office in Dodoma CBD
- Community outreach where people live
- Treatment through our clinical partner in Dodoma
- Working alongside the Ministry of Health's National Eye Care Programme
Latest from Onesha
News & stories
News
Welcome to our new website
onesha.or.tz is now live, a home for our programmes, results, stories and publications, and the easiest way to support or partner with the Foundation.
Read more
News
Onesha Community Health Foundation is officially registered
The Foundation was registered on 7 August 2026 as a non-governmental organisation, with a mission to bring accessible healthcare and vision restoration to communities in Dodoma Region.
Read moreGet involved
There's a place for you in this work
Support
Fund screening, surgery and spectacles for people who could not otherwise afford them.
Ways to givePartner
Government, development, corporate and community partners: let's build lasting eye-care capacity together.
Partner with usVolunteer
Help with community mobilisation, outreach days, logistics and communications.
VolunteerCollaborate
Ophthalmologists, optometrists, nurses and trainers: share your skills and mentor others.
Collaborate