Hundreds of thousands live with treatable visual impairment; cataracts affect a large share. Public hospitals are overextended; private care is excellent but unaffordable for many. A typical private-facility cataract pathway—covering theatre, specialist nursing, surgeon, and ancillaries—averages around R25,000 per eye and is usually a day procedure. CJMEF exists to bridge that gap through negotiated rates and targeted funding.

Community eye care in India demonstrated what becomes possible when dignity, accessibility, and scale work together. High-volume cataract and cornea surgery models emerged in the late 1970s, beginning in Coimbatore and growing into a national network that restored sight for millions. A defining element of this approach is the cross-subsidy model, where paid treatment supports free surgeries—allowing those who cannot afford care to receive it without compromise in quality.

This “80:20” model has become widely recognised for expanding access to the poorest communities while remaining financially sustainable. Over decades, it has enabled a system where sight can be restored efficiently, compassionately, and at scale.

These principles helped shape our founder’s understanding of what community eye care could look like in South Africa: outcomes-driven, people-centred, and grounded in respect. CJMEF is an independent South African non-profit and does not hold any current affiliation with organisations in India; we simply acknowledge the influence that successful models abroad had on our belief that restoring sight should be within reach for everyone.