Think back to when you were 12 years old. Hopefully, you were playing with friends, (mostly) enjoying your days in school and generally having a great time being a kid.
Unfortunately, life wasn’t like that for Phangshu, a little girl living in the village of Sonapur in India.
Not only was she born into a very poor and under-educated family, Phangshu was born almost blind. This was a great hardship for her family, as someone had to stay at home with her all the time, unable to work.
By the time she was 12, Phangshu’s world was very dark. Barely able to see shapes, she stayed indoors most of the time, unable to attend school. What future could she ever hope for?
Then, one day, her misery came to an end! An Operation Eyesight-trained community health worker (CHW) visited Phangshu’s family and identified cataracts in both Phangshu’s eyes. The CHW counseled Phangshu’s mother, who was understandably apprehensive about the cost of treatment.
Imagine the family’s joy when the CHW was able to assure them that all treatment would be free of cost, thanks to Operation Eyesight’s generous donors!
Soon, her mother took Phangshu to our partner hospital, Sri Sankaradeva Nethralaya Eye Hospital. There, she was successfully operated on for congenital cataracts. She could see!
Life for Phangshu changed dramatically after the operation. In fact, she told our staff that now she’s the happiest girl in her village! She attends school regularly and is able to help out at home. Her mother says, “Thank you for bringing my child’s life back through your support!”
Because of our donors, thousands of girls like Phangshu now have brighter futures ahead of them. They can go to school, get a good education, and someday work and contribute to their families and to their communities.
Tomorrow, on International Women’s Day, please join us in celebrating all of the girls and women who are now healthier and stronger, thanks to our donors’ support. Please consider marking the occasion by making a donation to our cataract surgery program, so you can give the gift of sight to more girls like Phangshu. Thank you for helping us make the world a more inclusive and gender equal place!