In just a few short years, Operation Eyesight and our supporters have made a remarkable impact through the NMDC Hyderabad Marathon. This year marks our fourth consecutive year participating, with our team proudly donning Operation Eyesight jerseys to spread the message of eye health and raise funds for our Gift of Sight campaign. Last year, we raised INR 5,14,152, surpassing our goal of INR 5,00,000 for 2024 and exceeding our previous fundraising record.

A marathon that unites and inspires

Now in its 14th year, the NMDC Hyderabad Marathon 2025 is more than just a sporting event – it’s a movement that brings thousands of individuals together for a common cause, creating positive change. As one of the 20+ NGOs supported through the event, we are proud to be part of this inspiring community that champions healthcare, education, environmental sustainability, and women’s empowerment.

Donate Here

Discover more about our team members, meet the runners, and contribute to our fundraising mission by visiting the Operation Eyesight India team page.

Voices from the team: Why we run

Subhadip Bhattacharya, Head – Resource Mobilization at Operation Eyesight India, shares his experience:

“Every year, we challenge ourselves to go beyond limits – not just physically, but in our mission to eliminate avoidable vision loss. Running in this Marathon isn’t just about endurance; it’s about giving children the clear vision they need to learn and succeed. Every step we take represents a student who will now be able to see the blackboard clearly. Your support fuels this mission.”

To learn more or make a donation, visit our team page.

Reflecting on 2024’s success

In 2024, through our partner hospitals, vision centres, and outreach camps, we accomplished these remarkable milestones:

✅ Free eye screenings for 7,500 students
✅ 362 free pairs of spectacles distributed

This year, our goal is to reach even more people!

Join us: Be part of the movement

The NMDC Hyderabad Marathon 2025, powered by IDFC First Bank and organized by Hyderabad Runners Society, has grown from 1,250 runners in 2011 to over 27,000 participants, making it India’s second-largest running event. The event aims to spread awareness about running, promote an active lifestyle and unite the city for a common cause.

Support Operation Eyesight at the NMDC Hyderabad Marathon 2025. Your generous donations will provide free spectacles for students and fund eye surgeries for senior citizens in need. Join us in preventing blindness and restoring sight. Give the Gift of Sight now and help us make 2025 our most impactful year yet!

👉 Donate today

🏃‍ Register with an Operation Eyesight charity bib

The post We are back in the race at NMDC Hyderabad Marathon 2025 appeared first on Operation Eyesight.

So, imagine trying to pick tea efficiently when your eyes are clouded over with cataracts.

This was the situation for 36-year-old Milan, who lives at the Nahorjan Tea Estate in Assam, India.

He had worked as a tea picker for years before his vision started to fade. When his wife passed away suddenly, he was left alone to support their four young children. Shortly after, his eyesight reduced so much that he was able to detect little more than hand movement in front of his eyes.

Robbed of his ability to work, Milan and his children moved in with his father, leaving the burden of supporting the family on the aging grandfather.

“Assam tea is the best tea in the world, but while plucking the tea, the workers have more exposure to sunlight,” says Operation Eyesight Project Manager Tapobrat Bhuyan. “Sadly, long hours of exposure to solar radiation can contribute to the early development of cataracts.”

Hope arrived for Milan in February when he attended a screening camp at the tea estate, which we had organized with our local partner Chandraprabha Eye Hospital.

Days later, the hospital sent a bus to collect Milan and other patients to transport them for their surgeries in the nearby city of Jorhat. Milan underwent phacoemulsification surgery on both eyes, a technique that is considered the gold standard in cataract removal because it reduces recovery time.

About a month later, Milan was back at work picking tea. He’s grateful that he can once again support his family. Thanks to the compassion of our partners and donors like you, he and his children have hope for a brighter future.

Click here to make a difference in the life of a family like Milan’s today.

The post A father’s livelihood and hope restored appeared first on Operation Eyesight.

Or picture yourself shopping at the local marketplace and wondering if you’re being shortchanged by the vendor because you can’t see the numbers on the coins.

That’s what Sharda, who lives in a village in Uttar Pradesh, India, experienced during her 35 years of near-blindness.

Until recently, Sharda had never seen her grandchildren’s faces.

The grandmother started losing her eyesight after being bitten by a snake – an injury that affected both eyes. During a hospital visit, a health worker told her that they couldn’t do anything to help her, even though Sharda was in a position to pay for eye health services. She travelled all the way to Punjab, where her sister lives, to see if she could get help there, but once again, she was turned away without treatment.

One day, Sharda met a community health volunteer who was going from house to house as part of our project with the C. L. Gupta Eye Institute (CLGEI) in nearby Moradabad. The volunteer quickly assessed Sharda’s eyes and concluded that she had cataracts, and gave her a referral to CLGEI, where she got a formal diagnosis and an appointment for surgery.

After getting both cataracts removed, Sharda was amazed at the dramatic recovery of her vision. She could finally see her grandchildren clearly.

Today, Sharda is back to cooking and shopping, and once again feels loved and valued by her family. With a new lease on life, she tells everyone she knows about the CLGEI vision centre and how staff there helped her regain her sight.

This now-tireless eye health ambassador has her sights set on her next project: her husband. Sharda says she’s taking him to the hospital soon to get his cataracts removed as well.

You too can be an eye health ambassador – please share our website with others or make a donation.

The post An eye health ambassador’s long journey to restored sight appeared first on Operation Eyesight.

One day Sabitri’s vision started to blur, and she found she had trouble keeping up with her everyday tasks at work.

“I was extremely afraid,” she said. “If I lost my sight, I was on my own. There is no one to take care of me, and if I couldn’t work to support myself, I don’t know what I would have done.”

Because Sabitri was already struggling financially, she didn’t seek treatment because she couldn’t afford it. Even if she could afford it, she didn’t know where to go for help.

Thankfully, a community health worker trained through your support came to Sabitri’s door and screened her eyes. She told Sabitri about Operation Eyesight and referred her to the Islampur Vision Center for diagnosis.

Thanks to YOUR support, the Islampur Vision Center was close enough for Sabitri to attend for an appointment.

At the vision center, Sabitri was told she was suffering from bilateral cataracts. She was referred to our partner, Siliguri Greater Lions Eye Hospital, where she received the surgeries she needed free of charge – all thanks to YOU!

Now Sabitri is happier than ever! She has her sight back and she can continue to work to support herself. Donors like you restored her hope for the future.

“After my surgery I can see clearly and I’m back to earning a living,” says Sabitri. “Thank you!”

Our generous donors have made it possible for thousands of women like Sabitri to regain their independence and get back to participating in their communities. Sadly, there are thousands more women like Sabitri who are still living with avoidable blindness. Your donation could restore sight and hope to more women like her. Give the gift of sight today!

The post You’re helping people like Sabitri appeared first on Operation Eyesight.