Have you ever found that sometimes, the simplest messages are the most heartfelt?
Let me tell you about Dawson, 72, and Anisa, 68. This elderly couple live in a tiny one room thatched house in the village of Kajilo, located in Zambia’s North-Western Province. Until quite recently, their lives were miserable because neither of them could see. They just sat by their hut day in and day out, waiting to be fed and taken care of by their nephew. They were helpless and a burden to their family.
Throughout Zambia, and also other African countries like Ghana and Kenya, radio is used to reach wide areas with simple but urgent messages about public health and education. Radio is a relatively inexpensive technology, so it is put to great use in Africa. Many people with serious health problems, like Dawson and Anisa, might not even know there was help available to them if it weren’t for these broadcasts.
After Operation Eyesight’s Mukinge outreach program was announced on community radio, a community health worker named Musanda brought Anisa and Dawson to the mobile eye clinic. There, they were both diagnosed with cataracts and referred to the hospital for surgery. The result: clear vision for both of them.
We’re happy to report that today Dawson and Anisa are self-sufficient and able to farm enough to feed themselves again. They can visit neighbours, go to church and avoid dangers like wildlife predators and deadly snakes. They have their lives back!
They have a special message for our donors: “We’ve very thankful that you have a passion for poor blind people in rural places like ours. Thank you!”
Visit our Donate page today to learn how you can give the gift of sight to people like Anisa and Dawson.