Our history

Creation of the association

Around standard statutes and to respond to a humanitarian issue, a handful of volunteers imagined Voir La Vie and provided it with the means necessary for its actions

Search for implantation sites

3 preparatory missions to invest a structure in Guinea, departure for our future actions

Betty's operation

The first of 50 Guinean children subsequently welcomed in Marseille in a hospital environment

Opening of the OPH unit in Conakry (Guinea)

After numerous exploratory and audit missions, it was in the Symbaya district of Conakry that the association's very first ophthalmological unit was created.

First operational and training missions

A year after our arrival in Guinea, the first cataract surgical operations were carried out in Conakry. The extra-capsular technique was making its debut in the country and would enable the training of dozens of surgeons

Opening of the Kankan OPH unit (Guinea)

Until then occupied by the OPC, the ophthalmology department of the Kankan hospital was cruelly lacking in equipment, means and human resources when the Guinean government asked us to take it over.

Opening of the Kindia OPH unit

The third city in the country, a crossroads between the north and the south, calls on the association to help it meet the pressing demand of its population for the management of its eye diseases

Autonomy of the Conakry unit

It took no less than 7 years and dozens of training missions to achieve the medical and economic autonomy of the first ophthalmological unit created by the association.

First mission of advanced strategies in rural areas

The need to get out of fixed centers pushes the association to carry out its first mobile consultations to meet isolated and sedentary populations.

First container of medical equipment

In partnership with Guinée Solidarité Provence, a container of medical equipment, coming from French donations, is heading to Conakry to equip future operating structures. Around ten others will follow.

Opening of the Boké OPH unit (Guinea)

The Guinean government calls on the association to equip the Boké mining region, in full development, with a reference ophthalmological structure

Opening of the Kindia optical center (Guinea)

Seven years after the opening of the ophthalmological unit, optics appeared in Kindia and marked the association's shift to take care of refractive errors

Creation of the Phacokit campaign in West Africa

Design of a cataract operating kit for intervention in rural areas. Manufacturing and sending of 45,000 copies to Senegal, Mali, Gambia and Guinea

3 OPENINGS OF UNITS AND CREATION OF A TRAINING SCHOOL

Opening of the Dabola ophthalmological unit (Guinea).
Opening of the ophthalmological unit in Fria (Guinea).
Opening of the Boké optical center (Guinea).
Opening of the Phaco-A International Training School in Dakar (Senegal)

Opening of the OPH unit in Télimélé (Guinea)

Opening of a “relay” ophthalmological unit in the town of Télimélé, a very remote region dependent on our operational structure in Kindia

Opening of the OPH units of POBè (BENIN) and N'Zérékoré (Guinea)

Pobè, 150 km from Cotonou (Benin), sees its first OPH unit emerge from the ground as well as in N'Zérékoré (Forest Guinea), a region that is difficult to access.
In both cases, there was no surgical provision of eye care.

Creation of Bus de la Vue

Design and construction of an ambulatory structure on board a truck to carry out free screening campaigns in French territories where access to eye care is difficult (medical deserts)

Launch of the “Solidarité HK” challenge (Guinea)

First “Solidarité HK” challenge in Guinea allowing training missions for local staff to be carried out thanks to volunteer opticians from the Breton group

Launch of the Make It Easy operation

Launch of the Make It Easy operation in Guinea aimed at equipping populations with new glasses offered by the KRYS Group Foundation

2 CENTER OPENINGS AND STAFF TRAINING

• Opening of the Pobè optical center (Benin).
• Opening of the Matam optical center (Senegal).
• Launch of the “Make It Easy” operation in Benin and Senegal.
• First “Krys Group” staff training challenge

Co-foundations of 2 GUINEAN NGOs

Support for the founding of the NGO AMDC Ophtalmo (staff training in Conakry)

Support for the founding of the NGO Droit à la Vue (prevention in Kindia)

Launch of e-learning (Guinea, Benin and Senegal)

Creation of a digital repository which opens the way to distance professional training for all of the association's West African staff

OPTICAL TRAINING IN SENEGAL

With the support of the CALDERON Group of opticians, launch of optical training for our staff in Matam, north east of the country

OPTICAL TRAINING IN BENIN

With the support of the TORRILHON Group of opticians, launch of optical training for our staff in Pobè, 150 km from Porto-Novo.