If you would like to help support Enfoque Ixcán financially, please click on the PayPal Link below.

For insight into Enfoque Ixcán, please watch our video (length 7.5 minutes) Click here and then press play arrow on lower left

This is the story of how a pair of glasses gets donated - processed - and dispensed to a patient in the Ixcán.

 
ENFOQUE IXCÁN
eye care and health education for
the people of the Ixcán region of Guatemala
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Welcome to the web site for Enfoque Ixcán, an innovative non-profit eye care project serving the Ixcán region of Guatemala.  We accomplish our service to these indigenous Mayan people in several ways. 

On yearly trips for the last 11 years we have taught local village residents how to provide basic primary eye care.  They are able to measure for and dispense eyeglasses, identify people needing cataract surgeries and provide eye health education.

We have partnered with a modern eye clinic in Guatemala City, called Visualiza, where eye surgeries are performed at a low cost.  Enfoque Ixcán, through donations, is able to pay for the surgeries and 85% of the patients’ travel, food and lodging for the trip to Visualiza.

Each year on a second trip to the Ixcán we partner with optometry students from Pacific University College of Optometry’s Amigos Eye Care Club and examine hundreds of people, dispense glasses and identify more cases needing eye surgeries.



Teaching Pedro about eye drops

Each day I am reminded of my good fortune living a middle class life in the United States.  Our neighbors in the Ixcán are not so fortunate.  Most live without electricity, running water or modern sanitation in a remote and ignored jungle region of Guatemala.  Over the years I’ve come to realize that an important difference between their lives and mine is opportunity.  By improving their access to year-round affordable eye care we are able to improve the quality of their lives, their educational opportunities and their dignity and self worth.

I hope you will take a few minutes to browse our web site and look in more detail at what we do and what we have accomplished.  I’m always interested to hear your comments, questions and ideas, as we are want to continually make our program better. 

If you are able to support Enfoque Ixcán, you can be assured that your tax deductible donation will be used to bring affordable eye care to people in need.

Buen salud, good health to you.

 
Enfoque Ixcán is a 501(c)(3) non profit organization