Losing someone or something you love can be very painful. After a significant loss, people often experience many difficult and overwhelming emotions: hopelessness, fear, anger, frustration, self-doubt, sadness. Jaa Katuta experienced all this and more.
Jaa lives in a grass-thatched house near Mwinilugna, a town in the North-Western Province of Zambia. He has lived there for over 80 years, his whole life. His most cherished moments were those he spent with his wife, but his happiness came to an end the day she passed away.
Already grieving the loss of his beloved wife, Jaa felt completely defeated when he started to lose yet another cherished gift: his eyesight. He had developed cataracts in his old age, and over the course of a year his vision deteriorated to the point where he was blind.
“Life without my wife and no sight was unbearable,” Jaa explains. To make matters even worse, he had difficulty farming and could no longer provide for himself. He thought he would live alone in darkness for the rest of his days.
Fortunately, his son had heard of Mukinge Mission Hospital, Operation Eyesight’s partner in nearby Kasempa. Unable to watch his father suffer any longer, he brought Jaa to the hospital for help.
There, Jaa was properly diagnosed and received cataract surgery free of charge, thanks to the support of Operation Eyesight’s donors. He can now see clearly again and has returned to his farm work. Although he still misses his wife dearly, he has renewed hope for the future.
“I am so impressed with your help,” he says. “Thank you very much. God bless you!”
You can help more people like Jaa. With a $50 donation, you can provide cataract surgery to someone in need. The gift of sight is the gift of hope! Please consider giving today.