At 85, Alfonsina Nyanchoka has spent a lifetime caring for others and supporting cataract patients. On her small farm in Otamba Village, Kenya, she grows tea and coffee to support both herself and her 19-year-old grandson, who lives with her.

Her farm supports her family, is how she maintains independence, and builds future for the grandson who depends on her.

But as a cataract gradually clouded Alfonsina’s vision, the life she had worked hard to build began to slip away.

Tasks she had completed confidently for years became difficult and dangerous. She could no longer harvest her crops on her own. Cooking became uncertain. Simply moving around her home and farm was no longer easy.

Alfonsina began relying on others for help. Sometimes, she had to give away part of her harvest in exchange for assistance. At other times, people took advantage of the fact that she could not see clearly.

For a woman who had always supported herself and her family, losing her independence was frightening. Alfonsina worried about what would happen to her and how she would continue caring for her grandson.

Then, trained community health promoters reached Alfonsina through a community eye health project led by Operation Eyesight, Peek Vision and Kisii Eye Hospital. They screened her, identified her cataracts and referred her for surgery.

After cataract surgery restored sight in one eye, the haze lifted.

Alfonsina could see her home again. She could move around with confidence. She could return to her tea and coffee crops and continue providing for the grandson who relies on her.

Most importantly, she no longer had to surrender her independence simply because she could not see.

Today, Alfonsina is back on her farm, tending her crops and caring for her family. She can face the future with renewed confidence and hope.

Her story reminds us that cataract surgery restores far more than vision. It can restore a person’s sense of safety, dignity and control over their own life.

For Alfonsina, restored sight meant she could once again be the farmer, caregiver and grandmother she had always been.

Help Someone See a Brighter Future

A gift of $75 can help support cataract surgery and associated costs, giving someone the opportunity to regain their sight and independence.

Together, we can help more people like Alfonsina see clearly, care for the people they love and look ahead with hope. Learn how here.