We recruit and train health workers and volunteers from the community, who provide vision screening, referral, health assessments and health education.
Across South Asia and Africa, these local eye health champions also reached nearly 800,000 people with education sessions about key health issues, like child and maternal health.
After Sonam’s mother received sight-restoring cataract surgery at one of our partner hospitals, she was inspired by the impact it had on her entire family.
“My mother’s surgery helped me experience the impact avoidable blindness can have on a family,” she says. “I was impressed by her visual outcome. I got free of my duties towards my mom and took up new responsibilities.”
In addition to now being able to work in the pasture and feed cattle, Sonam has been trained as a community health worker and joined our India project team.
For Salina, what makes her work doing door-to-door screenings rewarding is the appreciation of patients and families in her community.
“Working as a community health volunteer makes me interact with the community, who appreciate the help they get through the door-to-door screening program,” she explains.
Learn more in our 2021 Annual Report at operationeyesight.com/annualreport2021/.
