Recently, a small but passionate team—Manny Moodley, Claudette Medefindt, Linsay Engelbrecht, and I, Karen Denton—embarked on an unforgettable outreach journey in Cape Town, all with a shared purpose: to connect with and support those navigating the world of retinal visual impairment.

Our outreach work truly began almost as we landed:

Our first stop: the Cape Town Society for the Blind. What a vibrant, thoughtful group! We spent time presenting, listening, sharing, and exchanging ideas around eye care—each story and voice adding something valuable to the experience.

I then attended the IFA Global Conference on Ageing, where I had the honour of presenting two talks close to our hearts:

• “The Silent Threat on Our Plates: Food Devolution and the Rise of Macular Degeneration and Dementia”
• “When the Brain Fills the Gaps: The Strange World of Charles Bonnet Syndrome”

The response was deeply encouraging—engaged audiences, lively panel discussions, and thought-provoking questions that reminded me why these conversations are so needed. During breaks and mealtimes, I was approached regularly by people wanting to know more, and have even been contacted since for more interaction, sharing and building global relationships.

From there, our intense programme and outreach work continued with several important engagements.

We made our way to the birthplace of the retina movement in South Africa, Groote Schuur Hospital, where we met with the Ophthalmology Department Heads and Registrars of Groote Schuur and Red Cross Children’s hospital, and addressed them on the benefits of improving patient referral pathways. We established crucial connections and outlined a more collaborative way forward.

 Later that week we travelled through the beautiful Durbanville area and made our way to Buh-Rein Retirement Village for a presentation to residents and Staff on the benefits of Joining Retina SA. Dis-chem joined us, sponsored platters, and set up an awareness table for the day. The residents were thrilled to learn about the services we offer and were eager to share their learnings with other members.

When visiting Cape Town and dealing with low vision, one must make a stop at the Helen Keller Society, which we did! We were warmly welcomed into one of the many Support Group Meetings hosted by the Helen Keller Low Vision Team where we addressed the group on good eye health, nutrition, lifestyle, and genetic updates. The attendees were very knowledgeable and engaged, and keen to learn more.

We rounded off our Friday in Cape Town with a visit to Tygerberg Hospital, where we met with their Ophthalmology Department and Registrars, and addressed them on the benefits of improving patient referral pathways. It was clear to all those referring patients to Retina SA is of immense benefit to the Hospital and the patients.

Saturday brought us to the welcoming campus of the University of Cape Town (UCT), where 40 participants who share the often lonely low vision journey gathered for a hands-on outreach session. With engaging presentations, open discussions, exhibitors, and lots of shared learning, the energy in the room was electric. You could feel the collective will to support each other, and to make a difference in this world.

The momentum didn’t slow. On Monday, we returned to UCT where we welcomed professionals in the field of ophthalmology to a fun and interactive workshop focused on retinal conditions. There was laughter, learning, and a refreshing sense of collaboration—something that’s not always easy to find in clinical environments.

Our final stop took us on a long, scenic drive to Worcester, where we kicked off the morning at the Pioneer School for the Visually Impaired where our conversations flowed easily and was warm, genuine, and met with open hearts. What started as informal chats quickly grew into meaningful connections, shared understanding, and exciting plans for future collaboration. 

We later enjoyed an insightful visit to Innovations for the Blind where our presentations and discussions were well received.

It was the perfect way to wrap up a journey filled with insight, connection, and purpose.

This outreach wasn’t just about delivering information—it was about building community, sparking conversations, and creating space for both professionals and those living with vision loss to be heard and seen.

A huge thanks to Kyle and the Edit Microsystems team, Fanie from Nurture Vision and Jenny Webster from C-u-r-able, who joined us for most of our outreach activities and set up exhibition tables to share their products with our guests.

To all our volunteers who assisted with driving, catering, setting-up and much more, we thank and salute you! Our Cape Town Outreach would not have been possible without you all.

And lastly, to all our members, friends, supporters and colleagues in the Western Cape, we are grateful for your continued support and unwavering commitment, we look forward to building a strong base in the region and returning time and time again.

Want to see how advocacy meets action? Browse our Western Cape outreach gallery