I had the great opportunity to volunteer with Eyes4Everest and have been significantly humbled from my experience.
It was first in university where I learnt about the mission of Eyes4Everest and have wanted to be involved since. Covid had unfortunately delayed that but it all came into fruition regardless!
Over in the Everest region, we saw the Sherpas’ lifestyle and way of life. Us volunteers all had an idea of how different our Australian experience was, but living it felt much more eye-opening. It truly made me realise that simple conveniences such as a hot shower and constant running water were in fact also a privilege of living in a first world country.
The main form of transport for locals were their two feet and there was definitely no easy access to facilities such as doctors or comprehensive healthcare in many villages. Working to provide eyecare to this community was incredibly fulfilling, and I felt even more inclined to go above and beyond knowing that the locals may not have another opportunity to see another optometrist or many months or years. Some people also travelled on foot for 3-4 hours to see us for their health checks. Seeing how grateful the community was reignited my passion for why I chose optometry and I felt so privileged to have had a hand in helping the Nepali and Sherpa community.
The mountain is absolute and shows no discrimination. It was a difficult trek but an enjoyable one, and one that I will most definitely come back to again.
