13/10/2026
Dr Richárd Hardi, known to many as Brother Richard, a Hungarian ophthalmologist and missionary who has dedicated more than three decades to caring for patients in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. His work, alongside his Congolese colleagues, has brought eye care to communities where access to specialist treatment is extremely limited.
When we began developing our African partnerships several years ago, we kept hearing about Brother Richard and his extraordinary commitment. We knew that we wanted to contribute in a meaningful way, bringing our experience in education, international cooperation and project development to support the work he and his team were already doing.
Some projects take years to make possible and remind us exactly why the work is worth it. After three years of preparation, countless hours of work and a successful second submission, that ambition is becoming a reality: VET4Vision will begin in 2027.
We will implement the project together with Brother Richard and Clinique Ophtalmologique Saint-Raphaël in Mbuji-Mayi, which he leads and which is our Congolese consortium partner. This is an opportunity to turn years of preparation into practical cooperation with a team whose work first inspired us to get involved.
Brother Richard’s mission extends well beyond the clinic. His team travels to remote communities, sometimes along extremely difficult roads, to reach patients who would otherwise have little opportunity to receive treatment. Many live with severe vision loss caused by cataracts. Through surgery, patients who could barely see can regain their sight moments he describes as among the most powerful in his work.
VET4Vision will build on this clinical experience by strengthening the people and institutions behind eye care. Supported by the European Commission, our three-year partnership brings together organisations from Belgium, Hungary, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, The Gambia and Ghana.
Together, we will develop practical training materials, strengthen the skills of ophthalmic nurse technicians, support trainers and clinical mentors, and connect classroom learning with supervised clinical practice. Digital tools and telemedicine-supported learning will help extend this cooperation. The aim is to strengthen local expertise in screening, patient preparation, surgical assistance and follow-up, helping eye-care teams reach more people and provide continuity of care.
The competition for funding was exceptionally strong: 301 proposals were submitted for Sub-Saharan Africa, and only 15 were selected — a success rate of approximately 5%. VET4Vision is one of them.
Thank you, Brother Richard, for the inspiration and the trust. We look forward to working with you and our partners to help more people access the care they need — and to ensure that the knowledge behind that care continues to grow locally.
