The Gift of Sight helped a Grade 6 student in Kenya receive a school eye screening and prescription eyeglasses so he could see the blackboard clearly, and take part in his education with greater confidence.
For Brian, seeing the blackboard had become a daily struggle. The Grade 6 student at Olgumi Primary School in Kajiado County, Kenya, could not see clearly enough to follow lessons or participate fully in class.
His mother, Eliza Kapiani, was concerned. She had also noticed that Brian frequently experienced eye allergies, so she took him to the hospital for an examination. The advice was clear: Brian needed prescription eyeglasses. But the cost was more than his family could afford.
Without the eyeglasses he needed, Brian continued to struggle at school. A treatable vision problem remained a barrier between him and his education.
The opportunity Brian needed came through a school eye screening conducted at Olgumi Primary School as part of the Vision Impact Project, funded by CBM and implemented by Operation Eyesight.
During the screening, Brian was identified as needing distance eyeglasses. He received a prescription, and his new eyeglasses were delivered to him at school soon afterward.
The difference was immediate. Brian could see the blackboard clearly and follow his lessons with greater ease. His eyeglasses have photochromic lenses that darken in sunlight, offering added protection on sunny and dusty days.
For Brian, clear sight has meant more than improved vision. It has given him greater confidence in the classroom and a better opportunity to learn. For Eliza, it meant her son received the care he needed without adding a cost the family could not manage.
Brian’s story shows what can happen when eye care is available where children already are. A school eye screening can identify a vision problem early. The right pair of eyeglasses can remove a barrier to reading, learning and participating in class.
Yet many children still live with avoidable vision loss because their families cannot access or afford the care they need. Donor support helps Operation Eyesight work with local partners to bring screenings, eyeglasses, treatment and stronger eye health services closer to children and their communities.
Your gift can help reach more children like Brian with school eye screenings, prescription eyeglasses and sight-restoring treatment. By giving the Gift of Sight, you can help remove vision loss as a barrier and give a child a clearer path to learn, grow and reach their potential.
Give the Gift of Sight today and help create brighter futures through the power of clear vision.
Imagine not being able to see the faces of your loved ones, work to support your family or move safely through your own home because of a condition that could be treated.
For hundreds of people in Miao-Khagam Block in Arunachal Pradesh, India, that reality has changed thanks to supporters like you.
Recently, the community was declared Cataract Blindness Backlog-Free, meaning every person identified with cataract blindness was treated. It is the first declaration of its kind in the state and the first-ever Cataract Blindness Backlog-Free declaration supported by Operation Eyesight.
For this project:
But this achievement is about more than restoring sight today. Through Operation Eyesight’s Community Eye Health model, local health workers go from home to home, identifying people at risk, connecting them with care and helping build stronger local health systems.
This reflects our belief that lasting change happens when communities have the tools, training and services needed to prevent avoidable vision loss long into the future. The gift of possibility For one person, restored sight can mean seeing a grandchild’s smile for the first time in years. For another, it means returning to work, caring for a family or regaining independence. For an entire community, it means a future where fewer people are left behind because they could not access eye care.
This milestone was made possible through the combined efforts of local health workers, government partners and compassionate donors.
We are grateful for our partners and donors who work with us to restore sight, strengthen communities and create a future where avoidable vision loss no longer limits what is possible.
In Nandi County, Kenya, Operation Eyesight is helping bring eye care closer to children and families through the Hospital Based Community Eye Health Program.
It is implemented in collaboration with Nandi County health officials and supported through Johnson & Johnson funding.
The project trains community health promoters to identify eye health needs early and provide health education.
Additionally, it also refers people for treatment to strengthen local systems.
This approach helps care continue beyond a single outreach event and supports child eye health.
Across Kenya in 2025, our community eye health projects helped train 192 community health promoters. They screened 577,168 people and provided treatment to 65,223 people with eye conditions.
In Nandi, this work helped declare 29 villages in Kaptumo ward free of avoidable blindness.
Additionally, after screening, most community members received eye health education.
Furthermore, they accessed treatment, including cataract care and eyeglasses.
Families can continue seeking care at Kaptumo Clinic. It was established by Operation Eyesight under the project.
This spring, Ivan Zenar became President and CEO of Operation Eyesight, bringing a deep commitment to the organization’s mission. It also reflects his long-standing connection to its work.
As a former board member, Ivan has witnessed the lasting impact of donor support. Donor support affects individuals, families and communities around the world.
He succeeds Kashinath Bhoosnurmath, whose leadership helped transform millions of lives through access to eye health care. Moreover, Ivan is honoured to build on that legacy and guide Operation Eyesight into its next chapter.
As Ivan begins his leadership journey, he extends his sincere thanks to the supporters. Moreover, they make this life-changing work possible. Through your generosity, more people are seeing clearly, living independently and building brighter futures for themselves and their families.
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.
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.
For years, 60-year-old Jamku Bai lived in a world that was becoming increasingly blurred.
A resident of Bhagwanpura village in Udaipur, India, she had developed cataracts, a leading cause of preventable blindness worldwide. But like many older adults living in rural communities, Jamku Bai believed common myths about the condition. She had heard that cataracts were caused by a net-like structure covering the eyes and that surgery involved removing this "net." Fear and misinformation kept her from seeking treatment.
As her vision worsened, everyday tasks became difficult. Household chores that once came easily became frustrating and, eventually, impossible. Gradually, Jamku Bai became dependent on family members for even routine activities. Losing her independence left her feeling isolated and discouraged.
Despite repeated visits and counselling from Community Health Volunteers supported by Alakh Nayan Mandir in Udaipur, Jamku Bai remained hesitant about cataract surgery.
Everything changed when a relative, Kanku Bai, who was also living with cataracts, decided to undergo surgery.
After receiving free cataract surgery at Alakh Nayan Mandir, Kanku Bai's sight was restored. When she visited Jamku Bai and shared her experience, she spoke not only about regaining her vision but also about regaining her confidence and quality of life.
Her story resonated.
Encouraged by someone she trusted, Jamku Bai connected with a Community Health Volunteer and attended an eye screening camp in her village. There, medical staff confirmed that cataracts were causing her vision loss. They took time to answer her questions, address her fears and explain the facts about cataract surgery.
With the support of her relative and the reassurance of the medical team, Jamku Bai finally felt ready to move forward.
The results were life changing.
Before surgery, vision in her left eye was measured at 4/60. Following cataract surgery, it improved to 6/18. More importantly, she regained the ability to manage daily activities independently and participate fully in life once again.
Today, Jamku Bai enjoys greater confidence, freedom and dignity.
Her experience is a powerful reminder that blindness caused by cataracts does not have to be accepted as a normal part of aging. Community awareness, trusted local health workers and peer-to-peer encouragement play a critical role in helping people overcome fear and access sight-restoring care.
Across rural communities in India, misconceptions about cataracts continue to prevent many people from seeking treatment. Through the dedication of Community Health Volunteers and partners like Alakh Nayan Mandir, more people are learning the truth: cataract surgery is safe, effective and can transform lives.
Every person who regains their sight gains more than vision. They regain independence, opportunity and hope.
Millions of people worldwide are living with avoidable vision loss from cataracts, even though treatment is simple and highly effective.
Your support helps community health workers identify people in need of care, provide eye health education and connect patients with life-changing treatment.
Together, we can help more people like Jamku Bai regain their sight, independence and quality of life.
For months, 65-year-old Mohammad Babul Mia struggled to see the world around him.
A farmer from Kona Para in Bangladesh's Netrokona district, Mohammad relied on his vision to tend his land, support his family and maintain his independence. But as cataracts clouded his eyesight, everyday tasks became increasingly difficult. Farming, his primary source of income, was nearly impossible.
"I knew it was cataracts," he recalls. "But because of poverty, I couldn't afford the operation."
As his vision worsened, so did his sense of uncertainty. Without treatment, he faced the possibility of losing not only his sight but also his livelihood.
Then hope arrived through a community eye health campaign held near his village.
It was the first time Mohammad had attended an eye screening event. There, he received a diagnosis and learned that cataract surgery could be arranged quickly and affordably.
"If I hadn't gone to the campaign, I would've had to wait 15 to 20 days for a hospital appointment and spend hours travelling on bad roads," he says. "The cost would have been beyond my reach."
Instead, he was connected to a hospital where he could receive the care he needed.
The day after surgery, Mohammad opened his eyes to a brighter future.
"The difference between what I saw yesterday and today is incredible," he says with a smile.
While one eye still requires treatment, he can already see more clearly and carry out daily activities with greater confidence. With medication and follow-up care, doctors expect his recovery to be complete within a month.
Mohammad's story is a powerful reminder that cataracts remain one of the world's leading causes of blindness, yet treatment is simple, safe and highly effective. For people living in poverty, however, access to eye care is often out of reach.
Through community outreach, screening programs and affordable treatment, people like Mohammad can receive the care they need before vision loss becomes permanent.
Every day, people around the world are struggling with preventable blindness because they cannot access the care they need. Your support helps bring eye screenings, cataract surgeries and vision-saving treatment closer to communities where it is needed most.
Together, we can help more people like Mohammad regain their sight, their livelihood and their independence.
Help restore sight today. Your donation can connect someone living in poverty with the eye care they need to see clearly again. Learn how now.
Yabebal is a 13-year-old boy from Ayer Tena Kebele, Ethiopia. Bright and hardworking, he loved school. But a growing cataract began to steal his sight, his confidence and his place among his peers.
As his vision worsened, classmates mocked him, turning school into a place of fear. He struggled to read, relying on teachers to read exam questions aloud, and quietly worried about his future.
When told surgery would cost more than his family could ever afford, Yabebal refused to give up. He began walking long distances to sell handmade chewing sticks, hoping to save enough for treatment. But the money went toward food, and hope slipped further away.
Everything changed during a school eye screening. Yabebal was diagnosed and quickly referred for free cataract surgery. The next day, his sight was restored.
Now, Yabebal can see clearly again. But the impact goes far beyond vision. He has returned to school with confidence, free from stigma and ready to learn.
Learn more about the impact of our work in the 2025 Annual Report.
In 2025, access to clean water changed life for more than 36,000 people in Zambia through the rehabilitation of 72 boreholes. While clean water is often associated with improved health and sanitation, its impact reaches even further. It helps protect sight, prevent disease and create healthier communities where children and families can thrive.
For many communities, a reliable source of clean water is not always close to home. Families may spend hours each day collecting water, often from sources that are unsafe or contaminated. The consequences extend beyond inconvenience. Without access to clean water, communities face a higher risk of preventable diseases, including trachoma, a painful eye disease that can lead to blindness if left untreated.
That is why clean water is an important part of Operation Eyesight's vision for lasting eye health.
In Zambia, boreholes supported through donor generosity are providing communities with safe, reliable access to clean water. These projects are helping prevent the spread of disease while improving the health and well-being of thousands of people.
Clean water makes good hygiene possible. It allows families to wash their hands and faces regularly, helping reduce the transmission of infections that can damage sight and affect overall health. When combined with community education on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), the impact is even greater.
Prevention is at the heart of this work.
Too often, blindness and visual impairment are addressed only after problems develop. Yet many eye conditions can be prevented by improving the conditions that help people stay healthy in the first place. Access to clean water is one of those essential building blocks.
The benefits can be seen throughout the community. Children are healthier and spend more time in school. Parents spend less time caring for preventable illnesses and more time supporting their families. Communities become more resilient, with better opportunities to learn, work and prosper.
A borehole is much more than a source of water. It is an investment in health, education and opportunity. It helps create conditions where people can protect their sight, maintain their dignity and build brighter futures.
For the more than 36,000 people reached through these efforts in Zambia in 2025, access to clean water means more than convenience. It means a healthier future and a stronger foundation for generations to come.
Thanks to supporters like you, communities have access to clean water and the health benefits that come with it, now and for years to come. Together, we are helping prevent avoidable blindness, protect vision and create lasting change.
Did you know?
When you support water borehole projects, you support eye health and gender equality. Safe water and hygiene helps prevent trachoma, the world’s leading infectious cause of blindness. For women and girls, a nearby source of clean water reduces time hauling water. This means they spend more time in
school and earning a living.
You can help create healthier communities and protect sight. Your support helps provide access to clean water, eye health services and community education that prevent avoidable blindness before it starts.
Donate today and help bring life-changing eye health care within reach for more families.
Every spring, Gerda Armstrong set up a small flower stand by the roadside to sell flowers and raise money for Operation Eyesight. It was a simple act, but it reflected something much bigger about who she was: she believed in showing up, giving what she could and inviting others to share their generosity.
A lifelong teacher, volunteer and community builder, Gerda brought energy, determination and heart to everything she did. Those who knew her remember her dry wit, generous spirit and deep commitment to helping others. Whether she was teaching, volunteering or tending her garden, Gerda found ways to build connections and make a difference in the lives of those around her.
Her support of Operation Eyesight was a natural extension of that generosity. Through her flower sales and ongoing gifts, Gerda helped make eye health care accessible to people who might otherwise go without it. Her contributions helped children succeed in school, adults continue working and families build brighter futures through improved vision.
Gerda's story is a reminder that generosity does not have to be grand to have an impact. Sometimes it begins in a garden, at a roadside stand or with one small idea that grows into something much larger. Her kindness continues to reach far beyond her own community and serves as an inspiration to others who want to make a difference.
If Gerda's story speaks to you, consider holding a fundraiser or leaving a legacy gift in support of Operation Eyesight. Every act of generosity helps bring life-changing eye health care within reach for more people. Just $20 can provide a pair of eyeglasses, while $75 can help restore sight through cataract surgery.
Turn your passion into action. Whether it's a lemonade stand, garden sale, community event or personal challenge, anyone can fundraise for Operation Eyesight. Start your fundraiser today and help prevent blindness and restore sight for people around the world.
Start your own fundraiser: Operation Eyesight Fundraising