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.

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When her vision started to deteriorate, she thought it was due to aging. But as it became worse, it made her anxious. She became less able to contribute to her household chores, especially after sunset. She worried that she would become a financial burden to her family, knowing that they couldn’t afford medical care. Worst of all, every day she became less able to see the faces of her beautiful grandchildren, and she couldn’t see well enough to be left alone with them to care for them.

Kashi’s hope was restored when Sarika, an Operation Eyesight-trained community health worker, visited her home during a door-to-door survey. After examining Kashi’s eyes, Sarika referred her to a nearby vision centre, which was established in partnership with Sewa Sadan Eye Hospital to bring eye care services closer to people like Sarika. At the vision centre, Sarika was given a comprehensive eye exam, diagnosed with bilateral cataracts and referred for surgery at our partner hospital in Bhopal.

Thanks to support from our donors, Kashi was given surgery free of charge. Her sight has been restored, and she is thrilled to be able to see the smiles on her grandchildren’s faces again.

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Varsha started to experience problems with her vision, along with severe headaches. These problems came about suddenly and became worse over the following months. There were days when she had to stay in bed due to the pain, and she became very concerned about her family’s finances, as it was getting to the point where she could no longer work to support her family.

Things turned around for Varsha when she was visited by Hemlata, an Operation Eyesight-trained community health worker. Hemlata referred her to the Ahmedpur Vision Centre for a comprehensive eye exam. Vision centres are permanent facilities staffed by trained eye health personnel that act as a link between communities and staffed by trained eye health personnel. Located in areas where the need for quality eye health care is high, they provide eye exams, dispense prescription eyeglasses and refer patients to the hospital when necessary. Vision centres provide a way to reach people who have previously been unreached.

At the vision centre, Varsha was diagnosed with refractive error, and she was given a pair of custom prescription eyeglasses that corrected her vision, thanks to our donors. This simple and inexpensive tool instantly restored her vision, and with her vision corrected, her headaches also went away.

Varsha is so happy that she no longer has to worry about having enough money to support her children. She looks forward to a happy and healthy future for them, and she now knows where to go for help if one of them should suffer from a health condition.

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When Roshni was finally able to have cataract surgery, her vision was completely restored. She was once again able to work around the house and help with field work such as feeding the cattle. Roshni’s daughter, Sonam, was inspired by the incredible impact this sight-saving surgery had on her mother and their entire family. As Roshni no longer needed Sonam as a full-time caregiver, Sonam decided she wanted to help others the way her mother had been helped.

Sonam trained to become a community health worker, and she joined the Operation Eyesight project team in. In this role, Sonam conducts door-to-door surveys in communities near her own, screening people for eye conditions and referring them to a vision centre or hospital when further diagnosis or treatment are needed. Sonam’s visits provide hope for people who have been suffering with vision impairment, not knowing where to go for help. She also provides health education and assesses the health status of each member of the community, including pregnant women, new moms and children under the age of five.

Thanks to the help that Roshni received, her daughter is now providing eye health care to so many more people in need. Their family is thriving, and the effects of Sonam’s work in communities near her home will last for years to come.

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