We’ve been working in Kerala since 1973, as part of our long-term development strategy to eliminate avoidable blindness in India.” While we’re not a disaster relief organization, Little Flower Hospital came to us, explaining the severity of the situation and asking us for help. We already have the processes and resources in place to provide immediate eye care to those in need, and we’re eager to help.

Hit by monsoon rains and torrential downpours, Kerala received over 222 cm of rainfall (40 per cent more than average) between June and August this year. Roads have been washed out and 80 per cent of the state was without electricity for almost a week. Homes were destroyed, leaving millions of people displaced and without any of their possessions, including their eyeglasses.

With the spread of waterborne bacteria, there is already a reported rise in eye infections – but people are unable to access eye care services for medicine or treatment. To make matters worse, there is a shortage of ophthalmic personnel and people are also unable to access their money to pay for services.

“We’re grateful to our donors who have given generously to our Greatest Needs Fund in the past, trusting us to put their donations to good use where it’s most needed in our work,” says Aly Bandali, our President & CEO. “This gives us the flexibility to be able to respond to situations like this.”

Little Flower Hospital has started conducting medical camps in relief camp sites, however, their resources are extremely limited, and thousands of people in need of medical assistance are being left out. Our team in India already has a plan in place to reach those who are unable to access, or afford, eye care services right now.

“We’ve started mapping out the areas where the need is greatest and will soon be mobilizing community outreach teams,” says Dr. Santosh Moses, our Regional Manager in South Asia. “At the health camps, we’ll screen people for eye problems and provide free eye care treatment for those in need. We’ll provide antibiotics to treat infection, new prescription eyeglasses, surgical treatment and other eye services as needed.”

Our organization has been working with Little Flower Hospital since 1975. As an international development organization, we’ve supported the establishment of the hospital’s eye department, enabling Little Flower Hospital to perform the first corneal transplantations in India. In addition, we’ve worked with eight other local eye hospitals in the past, at one point covering 10 out of the 14 districts in the state.

While we aim to integrate eye care services into the country’s existing infrastructure and ultimately help partner hospitals become self-sustaining, we’re also able to utilize its existing partnerships to react quickly to events such as the Kerala floods.

Your support means so much to so many! To help us to continue our sight-saving work in Africa and South Asia, you can donate $5 by texting “EYESIGHT” to 45678 or by going to our donation page.

The post Worst floods in a century have left people vulnerable, without access to eye care appeared first on Operation Eyesight.

One example of this is Shashi (pictured above). She lives in a small village in Delhi, India in a small semi-concrete house, which she shares with her family.

She is unmarried and lives with her mother and her two brothers. Her eldest brother is running a small clothing shop, and what he makes from his work there he puts toward supporting the family. Unfortunately, Shashi’s family still faced a great deal of financial challenges.

Shashi wanted to do something to help financially, and she heard about Operation Eyesight. When she heard that they were training Community Health Workers to go door-to-door and screen them for eye health issues, she knew right away that she wanted to be a part of it.

Shashi had a hard time finding the job. When she did, her family wasn’t immediately supportive. Many women in India are not encouraged to work, but after she was hired, her family was counselled on the importance of the work she would be doing, and the financial benefits it would bring. Finally, Shashi’s family agreed that she could do the job (SDG #5: Gender Equality).

“It’s great work. I always wanted to help people in need in my community. This was my first time working with so many people, and at first I had trouble convincing the people about the importance of their eye health, especially when it came to eye surgery. It took time, but as people were treated, I started receiving appreciation from the patients who were helped and that was a great boost to my confidence” (SDG #3: Good Health and Well-Being).

Community health work is hard and involved work. Not only do health workers perform initial screenings, they also follow up with patients. Thanks to Shashi’s dedication, the people in her community have developed awareness about the importance of eye health as well as general healthcare (SDG #4: Quality Education).

Now people happily welcome her into their homes, trusting that she can help them.

“The work is very rewarding. There was one patient I helped who had cataract in both eyes. After counselling her about cataract surgery and referring her to the partner hospital for treatment, her sight was restored (SDG #17: Partnerships for the Goals). She was so happy! Now she has become an advocate for eye health, and her quality of life has been much improved.”

While Shashi’s mother was initially hesitant to allow her to work, she is now so proud.

“My daughter is working for a noble cause and helping people by referring them to be cured from avoidable blindness! I couldn’t be happier. Thanks to Shashi, our family is financially supported, and we are respected by our community.”

Shashi has decided that once she is done working as a community health worker, she wants to study to get a degree and become a social worker, with a focus on community development.

“This job has built my image as a social worker in the community. People respect me, they consult me when they have any eye-related issues. People now call me doctor!” Shashi says smiling. “It has also helped my family financially. I’m happy I can support my family and bring us out of poverty (SDG #1: No poverty). I would like to thank everyone who has made this possible, including Operation Eyesight and the generous donors who provided me with a great opportunity to work to help my community. It’s always been my dream!” (SGD #10: Reduced Inequalities).

The best part of it all is that it’s generous people like you who make our work possible. Your support is helping thousands see hope for the future, and is giving them a chance to break the cycle of poverty and build themselves a brighter future!

There are still so many people who need our help. By donating to our Screening and Outreach programs, you can help us train more dedicated health workers like Shashi, and restore sight to those who need it most – For All The World To See!

The post Changing communities through the elimination of avoidable blindness appeared first on Operation Eyesight.