Sylvia Hatfield and her husband, Reverend Donald, first heard about Operation Eyesight from Donald’s mother, Mabel. “Mabel heard Art Jenkyns (founder of Operation Eyesight) speak just as he was getting started,” says Sylvia. “She told us she was supporting Art’s work to bring sight to the poor in India. We thought it was a fantastic idea.”

Don convinced the Canadian Forces Protestant Chapels to support what was then “Art Jenkyns’ little charity.” Sylvia told everyone in her Sunday School classes about Operation Eyesight.

“We love that Operation Eyesight is Canadian,” Sylvia says. “We truly believe in the cause. Giving someone back their sight may seem like such a small thing at first, but it’s far reaching. Being able to see again not only helps the individual and their family, but the entire community.”

Sylvia’s daughter Sara has been a donor for 30 years. Her passion for the charity grew “through osmosis.” Her first cataract surgery was at age 39. “If I’d been born in another country, I could very well be blind right now,” Sara says. She enjoys following in her grandmother’s footsteps and is happy we work sustainably, helping people to help themselves.

Thank you Mabel, Don, Sylvia and Sara. Your support means everything to us!

We’re so grateful to all our incredible supporters for making it possible to transform entire communities through the gift of sight. Together we’ve helped thousands, but there are thousands more who need access to eye care. Make a donation to give the gift of sight today.

The post Three generations of support appeared first on Operation Eyesight.

Roland would watch a car slide into a snow bank and go to rescue the passengers, but first, he’d ask them to donate to Operation Eyesight. Everyone paid up.

“Operation Eyesight was his favourite charity, and pulling cars out was his favourite activity,” Marja says. “He was a Rotarian and supported international causes.”

The road is now paved, and few get stuck. We’re very grateful for Roland’s creativity and for Marja’s long-time support! Thank you!

As Roland knew, there are many ways that you can support our sight-saving work. Learn more here.

The post Digging for donations appeared first on Operation Eyesight.

Our Annual Impact Celebration, held in Calgary, was a blast – and YOU made it happen! We had so much to celebrate; just take a look at our Annual Report to SEE how much people like YOU made possible in 2018.

We were especially excited to introduce you to Alice Mwangi, our country manager in Kenya. Alice has been with Operation Eyesight since 2011 and has 15 years’ experience in development work in various areas including eye health, women empowerment, HIV/AIDS and general health. She has a master’s in public health and a post-graduate diploma in planning and management in development projects. She’s also a full-time mom of two teenage daughters.  

She gave an incredible presentation about her time working at Operation Eyesight, and the ways in which people like you are transforming communities in Kenya through the gift of sight.

Aly spoke to the room, reminding the audience that every person who received eye care in 2018 was helped thanks to people like YOU. Here’s a throwback to Aly’s message at the podium:

“If there’s one thing that you take away after today, I hope it’s this: YOU are making an incredible difference in the lives of others. You truly are a part of their stories. And you should be incredibly proud of the impact you’re making around the world.” 

A big thank you to our generous sponsors:

• Active Accounting Inc.
• Cambridge FX
• CIBC
• SerVantage

To conclude the event, the Woezo Africa Music and Dance Company and the SixWest Indian Dance Group tore up the dance floor with their highly energetic and interactive routines.

Check out the rest of the event photos here.

To all those who attended the event, and to all of our amazing donors who were with us in spirit, thank YOU so much for being a part of this story!

The post Thank YOU for being a part of our story! appeared first on Operation Eyesight.

Can you imagine what it would be like to be a young man in a remote village, watching your parents struggle to bring food to the table, and realizing that you’re losing your sight?

And imagine what it would be like to be a mother living in poverty and watching your son go blind?

When Shivsagar started to lose his sight as a child, his mother didn’t have any other option but to take him to a healer in the village. Their village did not have a healthcare centre, and Shivsagar’s mother couldn’t afford the bus fare to the nearest hospital, let alone the expensive sight-saving treatments. Besides, taking Shivsagar to the hospital would cost her a day’s work and cost her family a day’s meal. So, she did all she could – placing all her hopes on the village healer and praying for her son’s remaining sight.

Sadly, the folk healer’s medicines had no effect. Shivsagar’s mother helplessly watched her son’s world go dark around him. He became alienated and eventually he was forced to drop out of school.

In many communities in India, men are expected to look after their parents when they grow old. However, instead of growing up to become a breadwinner for the family, Shivsagar depended more and more on his mother for his daily needs. But one day everything changed!

Years after Shivsagar lost his sight, his sister got married and moved to the city of Bangalore with her husband.

Operation Eyesight established a vision centre in Bangalore and Jyoti, one of our community health workers, went door-to-door in the area screening households for their eye health. As luck would have it, Jyoti met Shivsagar’s sister. When Jyoti heard about Shivsagar, she urged his sister to bring him to Bangalore.

So 20-year-old Shivsagar travelled 700 kilometers to his sister’s place in Bangalore and met with Jyoti. Jyoti referred him to the vision centre and the hospital, where the doctors identified the damage to his cornea and offered a cornea transplantation surgery at an affordable, subsidized cost of less than 100 Canadian dollars.

Cornea transplants need eye donors. After being referred for the surgery, Shivsagar returned to his village and waited for a donor. The long-awaited call came a year later!

Two weeks after the surgery, he could see his surroundings again, and his sight would keep improving for the next three months.

Shivsagar is at his sister’s recovering from his surgery, ready to head home to take on his new life. Once he returns to his village, he hopes to find a job to support his mother.

It’s a new beginning! Not just for Shivsagar, but also for his mom. Now she can rest easy knowing that her son can provide for their little family, and she knows that his future is bright and full of hope – all thanks to the support of incredible people like you!

Thank you so much for your incredible gifts that are helping to restore sight and hope for people like Shivsagar! There are still thousands like him who need your help. Please consider donating today and give the gift of sight to more people in need – For All The World To See!

The post Hope comes in the form of a community health worker appeared first on Operation Eyesight.