Meet Tharien Schoeman, the optometrist helping rural South Africans regain their sight through life-changing cataract surgery outreaches.
South Africa (05 November 2026) – Optometrist Tharien Schoeman has been brought into focus by Profmed for the work she is doing to make sure that rural South Africans can truly witness this life. Into Focus is an incredible new series forming part of Profmed’s BeRemarkable campaign, which has shone the spotlight on its inspiring members throughout this year.
“Nobody should die blind, especially while on a waiting list for surgery, from something that takes 15 minutes to fix,” says Tharien.
It was that thought, and meeting one patient, that changed everything. Today, Tharien has watched more than 1,200 patients regain their sight through the cataract surgery outreaches she helped make possible, and the moment their eye patches come off still moves her.
It all started in Springbok, Northern Cape. A few years ago, sitting in her waiting room was a man who would inspire Tharien to act.
He was in his sixties and had an intellectual disability. Sitting across from her, he struggled to understand why she could not help him. When he began to cry, she felt the weight of being able to identify his problem while having no immediate way to resolve it.
“He didn’t understand why I couldn’t help him, and my heart broke for him,” she recalls. “I have a passion for eyes and for helping people, and I felt I had to do something.”
Many of her patients come into her rooms with cataracts clouding their eyes’ natural lens. This can gradually reduce vision until a person can distinguish only light from darkness. A relatively simple surgery, one that takes around 15 minutes to perform, can restore sight.
The heart-breaking encounter helped prompt her to establish Caring for Sight, a non-profit that arranges cataract surgery for patients who would otherwise face lengthy waits for treatment.
But this story doesn’t start there, not entirely. It started when Tharien Schoeman completed her studies and decided early in her career to place herself in a space that would have the greatest impact. The idea of a rural practice led her to Springbok.
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In photos: South Africans Vote to Shape the Future of Their Municipalities!She eventually became a part owner of the practice and deepened her connection to the community. There, she has helped people with limited access to eye care.
Caring for Sight in the Northern Cape
The start of Caring for Sight led Tharien to make career connections that would make the greatest difference. She reached out to an ophthalmologist with experience in charitable cataract surgery for advice, and within half an hour, they were speaking on the phone.
Their shared commitment grew into a partnership that has helped make repeated surgical outreaches possible, with volunteers bringing their skills and time to the work.
The outreaches initially took place in Upington, but Tharien wanted patients in Namaqualand to receive care closer to home. For some, getting to Upington meant travelling around 400 kilometres, a demanding journey for older people who had already lost their sight and depended on others for assistance.
So, in March 2025, Caring for Sight held its first surgical outreach in Springbok! This milestone event meant local patients got to receive treatment within their own community.
The organisation now aims to hold two or three outreaches each year, hoping to treat around 100 patients. This goal, however, depends on funding, available theatre time, and volunteer support.
These outreach days matter because sight is such a crucial part of how we see the world around us. For Tharien, one story she shares fondly was about a young father in his late twenties who had never seen his own child.
He brought his little one along when he returned the day after surgery, and when his eye patch came off, he could finally see the face he had been waiting to know.
In another story, she shares how a man in his forties had lost sight in one eye through an injury and then developed a cataract in his functioning eye. About a week after surgery, he visited Tharien’s practice to share his news.
“He came to tell me he was starting a new job the following week,” she says. “He was so excited to be able to earn a living and care for his family again.”
These stories are what make the new Into Focus series so special.
“My dream for the people we help is to give them their independence back,” Tharien says. “These are basic things we take for granted, and being able to do them yourself gives you back your dignity.”
In June of this year, the organisation celebrated helping its 1,200th patient. The next goal is possibly the most exciting yet!
Tharien is now working towards a fully equipped theatre in Namaqualand, where some equipment still has to be borrowed or brought in for surgical visits. A permanent setup would help the team offer surgery more regularly and reach patients sooner. It would also bring her closer to the future she imagines whenever another patient walks into her practice asking for help.
For Tharien, that future is filled with people making their own breakfast, returning to work and watching their children grow. Each successful surgery gives someone the chance to take part in their own life again, and she wants many more people to have that chance.
Behind every remarkable profession are people who choose to go beyond what is expected of them. For Profmed, celebrating its members means recognising not only what they achieve in their careers, but also the lives they touch along the way. Tharien’s story is a beautiful example of what happens when professional expertise meets genuine compassion, and why the people behind the professions deserve to be celebrated.
You can watch all the Into Focus episodes via Profmed’s YouTube channel here.
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