Roshni, from India, is a mother and grandmother who lived with poor vision as a result of bilateral cataracts. Living with her adult children and her son’s family, she was completely dependent on them to survive. With severe vision impairment, she was unable to do any work to contribute to the household. Her daughter, Sonam, couldn’t work outside the home, as her mother needed full-time care.
When Roshni was finally able to have cataract surgery, her vision was completely restored. She was once again able to work around the house and help with field work such as feeding the cattle. Roshni’s daughter, Sonam, was inspired by the incredible impact this sight-saving surgery had on her mother and their entire family. As Roshni no longer needed Sonam as a full-time caregiver, Sonam decided she wanted to help others the way her mother had been helped.
Sonam trained to become a community health worker, and she joined the Operation Eyesight project team in. In this role, Sonam conducts door-to-door surveys in communities near her own, screening people for eye conditions and referring them to a vision centre or hospital when further diagnosis or treatment are needed. Sonam’s visits provide hope for people who have been suffering with vision impairment, not knowing where to go for help. She also provides health education and assesses the health status of each member of the community, including pregnant women, new moms and children under the age of five.
Thanks to the help that Roshni received, her daughter is now providing eye health care to so many more people in need. Their family is thriving, and the effects of Sonam’s work in communities near her home will last for years to come.
This Mother’s Day, you can help a daughter like Sonam get the training she needs to help restore the sight of people like her mother. Please donate to Operation Eyesight to help prevent blindness and restore sight for women and girls. Every dollar will be used to ensure they get the quality eye health care they need right now, and well into the future. You can choose to make a donation in the name of your own grandmother or mother or another important woman in your life.
