Access to eye health care is a lifeline for a family in India during lockdowns

Written by Melissa Crocker, Senior Marketing Specialist, published on March 9, 2022 Donate Today

Living with her children in India, Shahnaz and her family provided well for themselves. She worked as a tailor, and her three young adult children all worked to contribute to the household income. She was a widow, and when she started losing her sight a couple of years ago, she became unable to do her sewing, but all of her family members pitched in to look after each other.

Everything changed in 2020 when COVID-19 hit. When lockdowns started in India, only one of Shahnaz’s children remained employed as a manual labourer. He worked hard to keep the family fed, but they struggled financially.

When the restrictions eased a bit, Shahnaz was determined to find help to turn things around for her family. She learned there was a vision centre nearby. She had her eyes examined there and was referred for cataract surgery. She was relieved to find out that the surgery cost would be covered, thanks to the generosity of our donors. Now that she can see clearly, she can sew again, and she no longer worries about her family having enough to eat.

For mothers like Shahnaz, access to eye health care provides the gift of seeing their children’s faces.

You can help empower more families like Shahnaz’s. Your generosity can allow a mother to proudly see her children grow up, as they work together to support each other. Please give the Gift of Sight today.

Shahnaz is proud of the work her children do to support each other. She is looking forward to contributing to the household again with her sewing.