In 2021, 24-year-old Vishnu decided to be a changemaker. Though she hailed from a small village in Rajasthan, where girls were not encouraged to work, Vishnu dreamed of having a career so she could support her family.
Vishnu pursued a community health volunteer (CHV) role at Fatehagar Vision Centre, established through the Promotion of Avoidable Blindness-Free Communities in Rajasthan project. We implemented the project with Alakh Nayan Mandir, through support from Standard Chartered Bank.
Once Vishnu began working, she quickly earned respect. Encouraged by her mentors, she took a two-year diploma in optometry form Aalakh Nayan Mandir. In 2024, she became a vision technician at the Fatehnagar Vision Centre. She now sees 10 patients a day.
“I want to grow, and I will never allow anyone to stop me from doing my job. I’m happy that girls in my community have started dreaming of having careers after seeing me. This job has given me a chance to change my life, and I want to motivate as many girls as possible to dream big and fight for their happiness,” Vishnu says.
She remains deeply grateful to Alakh Nayan Mandir and Operation Eyesight for the opportunity that changed her life as she now changes the lives of others.
Did you know? There is a global shortage of eye health care professionals. The World Health Organization recommends four ophthalmologists for every million people. While India has 11 per million, many are based in urban areas, leaving rural and remote areas underserved according to the IAPB Vision Atlas on India.
Learn more about how we help strengthen eye health care resources and grow human resources here.
– With files from the India Team