As the year draws to a close, I’ve been reflecting on all the incredible things we’ve been able to accomplish, thanks to the support of our donors. Just last week, the Financial Post named Operation Eyesight as one of the top 25 charities in Canada – a great honour for Operation Eyesight, and one that has been made possible by our amazing staff and donors.
For those of you who don’t know, as the head of Operation Eyesight’s international programs, I am based out of Hyderabad, India and oversee our projects in India, Ghana, Kenya and Zambia. Every day, I see first-hand the tremendous difference Operation Eyesight makes in the communities in which we work; I get to see donor dollars hard at work, transforming countless lives and entire communities.
As we look back at our biggest accomplishments in 2015, donors and staff alike should be proud of the great work we’ve achieved together, for all the world to see! Below are some highlights from 2015.
In September, we opened the doors to the Operation Eyesight Universal Institute for Eye Cancer. This centre, which has been established at the LV Prasad Eye Institute in Hyderabad, India, will provide comprehensive treatment for the entire range of ophthalmic tumors in both adults and children.Also in September, we launched a national baseline study on blindness and visual impairment in Ghana. The results of this study are expected to advocate for eye health when the report is submitted.Through our Hospital-Based Community Eye Health Program in partnership with Siliguri Greater Lions Eye Hospital, we set five villages in West Bengal, India free of avoidable blindness! The funding for this project was provided by our GivingTuesday 2014 donors. Many other villages in India were also declared avoidable blindness free in 2015.To increase eye health awareness in Ghana, we ran a public awareness campaign on television, in collaboration with Seeing is Believing and other organizations. You can view the television commercial here.In Kenya and Zambia, we continued to fight the blinding eye disease trachoma through the provision of fresh water for washing faces and hands. We’ve made great progress in Kenya, so much that we’re now part of a plan to completely eradicate trachoma from Kenya by 2019!In November, we conducted the second round of our Mass Drug Administration (MDA) in Zambia’s Sinazongwe District to distribute antibiotics to communities through a door-to-door strategy. We have seen great participation levels from the community as people are recognizing the value in the MDAs. During this round in particular, we saw equal participation from men and women, signaling a change in attitude within the community.
I’ve only just scratched the surface of Operation Eyesight’s many sight-saving projects in Africa and India. On behalf of all of us at Operation Eyesight (from Canada, to India, to Africa), and on behalf of all those you have helped, thank you!
Be sure to visit our blog on Dec. 29 for a recap of the patient stories that touched our hearts in 2015. And if you’d like to donate to our work before year end, please visit our website. Thank you!
