It was about a decade ago and I was visiting a school as part of my work with Operation Eyesight. The room was loud – full of the sound of children’s laughter and small, yet confident, voices. I stood at the front of the class and asked questions of India’s next generation of Ieaders. What did they know about taking care of their eyes? What did they know about India? When I asked who the current President was there was an uproar in the class, as each child jumped out of their seat, hand up, shouting. The headteacher and I nodded in approval and applauded the unanimous response.

I carried on and asked who the current Vice President was, but this time the room fell silent. As I was opening my mouth to say the answer, a loud voice bellowed through the classroom, but it wasn’t from any of the students… “Mohammad Hamid Ansari!” the voice beckoned. The students glanced around the room, curious to know which of their peers had remembered the answer, but this time no hands were raised. The answer had come from outside, which I didn’t think much of at the time. A parent had probably been listening in and shouted the answer.

Asking the children their aspirations in life prompted the standard answers – teacher, accountant, police officer, Vice President of India. “Vice President of India!” I exclaimed, “That’s a big job, but if anyone can manage that, it’s you. Why do you want to be the Vice President?” I asked. “Because that’s the only position available!” the boy responded, eliciting laughter from the whole room.

As I was leaving the school, I noticed a young girl washing dishes by the side of the building. I felt drawn to her, as if we were meant to meet. “Did I get it right?” she asked. It was then I realized it had been her who yelled into the classroom.

I asked why she was not in school. Her eyes didn’t work like the other kids’, she explained, so her parents withdrew her and instead she stayed home and helped with chores.

I was immensely saddened by her story and became determined to help. I visited the girl’s family, explained my role at Operation Eyesight and directed her and her father to one of our partner hospitals where she received a complimentary eye exam and a pair of glasses. When I followed up with the hospital, I was told that the moment this girl put her glasses on, she began smiling, laughing, and talking about returning to school immediately.

This young girl’s story inspired not only me, but others in the area as well, demonstrating that they, too, can and deserve to have the Gift of Sight and the positive outcomes it can bring – pride, the ability to learn and work, and the possibility of achieving whatever they can dream.

Although I do not know where this little girl ended up, I know she learned that her voice gave her the power to overcome obstacles and live up to her true potential as the intelligent and deserving person she is – in the classroom and beyond. And who knows? Maybe she will become the next Vice President of India.

There are still many other children and families in need of the Gift of Sight. I invite you to help more kids achieve their potential by giving the Gift of Sight in the name of a loved one this holiday season.

Kashinath Bhoosurmath
President & CEO

The post Access to eye health care provides children with the gift of education and the ability to achieve their potential appeared first on Operation Eyesight.

In his own words… 

“My name is Chikhale Motiram. I’m 21 years old, and I live in a small village in the Latur district in Maharashtra, India. I have one year of experience in surgical marketing. My father is a farmer, my mother is a house wife and I have four siblings. 

I completed the Vision Technician course from Operation Eyesight’s partner, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad in January 2019. Thanks to the training I received, I’ve now joined Udayagiri Lions Eye Hospital as a Vision Technician.  

I get to see different patients with different eye conditions. When the patients I have examined are given glasses and they go home with a smile on their face – that’s my favourite part about the work I do. 

I think the training was very important. It’s helpful to know how to diagnose a patient’s condition to refer them for treatment at the hospital. 

I took the refresher training for Vision Technicians/Optometrists. The training covered how to increase the number of patients helped, and to ensure patient satisfaction. Another important aspect of the training was to learn how to communicate with an uncooperative patient. 

Thank you so much for making this training available to me. I feel lucky to be helping people through my work.” 

It’s thanks to the support of people like you that Chikhale’s patients are receiving the quality eye care they need.

You can make it possible for more people like Chikhale to give the gift of sight to their communities with a donation today!

The post Chikhale is so grateful for your support! appeared first on Operation Eyesight.

Targeting eye health alone isn’t enough to eliminate avoidable blindness; if other health care needs aren’t met, there will still be people suffering from vision problems or other conditions. For example, vitamin A deficiency results in preventable childhood blindness, and increases the risk of death from common childhood illnesses such as diarrhea.

With your help, we’re enabling poor communities to lead healthier and more productive lives. Not only do we educate target communities about eye health, but we also address their essential health care needs. Our trained community health workers educate communities about eye health and general health (such as the importance of vitamin A) and create awareness of the eye care services available in or around the community. They also collaborate with health care staff to deliver services such as immunizations.

We’re always proud to report the number of sight-restoring cataract surgeries performed or prescription eyeglasses dispensed, but the pinnacle of our work is the healthy communities that are empowered to lead happy and productive lives. For example, we’ve declared 1,020 villages as avoidable blindness-free. In these villages, mortality rates have dropped significantly and school enrollment rates have increased.

Thanks to YOU, entire communities have been transformed!

There are still thousands of communities that need your help! Please donate today to prevent blindness and restore sight to some of the most vulnerable people in Africa and Asia.

The post With healthy eyes, entire communities are thriving because of YOU! appeared first on Operation Eyesight.