Sight Restored in Morocco: Our 2026 Vision Mission Is Underway in Tiddas
Published: June 8, 2026 | Prepared by: ADVF Clinical Operations Team
The Andrew Dougherty Vision Foundation (ADVF) is on the ground in Morocco, and our 2026 Vision Mission is already changing lives.
Working hand in hand with our local partner, the Association Marocaine Médicale de Solidarité (AMMS), our team has joined a high-volume ophthalmic surgical effort in Tiddas, in the Province de Khémisset, where untreated cataracts and preventable blindness have kept too many people from the simple gift of clear sight.
The pace has been extraordinary from the very first hour. Our founder and board chair, Dr. Paul Dougherty, began operating almost immediately upon arrival, stepping in alongside AMMS surgeons to keep the momentum going. In the first two days, the combined AMMS–ADVF team completed 93 sight-restoring surgeries — 47 on the opening day and 46 the next — with every procedure and outcome recorded jointly by both organizations.
Restoring Sight, Restoring Independence
Behind that number are 93 people — grandmothers, fathers, neighbors, and elders — who can once again see the faces of their families and move through their world with independence and dignity. It is a powerful reminder of why this work matters and what is possible when partners pull together toward a shared goal.
The mission continues this week, with dozens more surgeries scheduled in Tiddas and additional surgical sites planned in the region. Our goal across the full mission is approximately 300 sight-restoring surgeries by the time we conclude on June 14. Alongside the surgical work, our team is gathering patient stories and impact documentation — always with consent — so we can share the human heart of this mission in the weeks ahead.
A Shared Goal, An Incredible Partnership
None of this happens alone. We are deeply grateful to AMMS, to our surgical and volunteer team, to our in-country coordinators, and to the supporters who make missions like this possible. For roughly the cost of a single restored sight, a life is changed — and the ripple effects reach entire families and communities.
Support Our Mission
Every gift goes directly toward restoring sight for people who have waited far too long.
Your support helps cover surgical supplies, equipment, and the on-the-ground costs that make each procedure possible — and 100% of your donation through our secure form supports the mission, with no platform fees deducted.
Join a Future Mission
Our missions are powered by skilled, compassionate people — ophthalmic surgeons, nurses, surgical technicians, and dedicated volunteers who give their time and talent to restore sight around the world. If you would like to be considered for a future ADVF vision mission, we would love to hear from you.
Medical & surgical volunteers: ophthalmologists, anesthesia providers, nurses, and surgical technicians.
Support volunteers: patient flow, registration, translation, logistics, and storytelling.
Partners & supporters: organizations and donors who want to expand access to eye care.
To express interest or learn more, email amanda@advfoundation.org or visit ADVFoundation.org/contact-us