While most Canadian schoolkids would have a hard time finding Ghana on a map, the West African country truly came to life for donor Sharon Margison when she was 10 years old. That year, her mother, then president of the Toronto YWCA, developed a close friendship with a young Ghanaian woman named Sika (also known as Barbara) who had come to Canada to study. Sharon’s mother encouraged her daughter to think of Barbara as a big sister, and that relationship continues today, more than 60 years later.
In 1982, Sharon and her mother travelled to Ghana to meet up with their old friend. During that visit, they were made family members.
“I just always found the people very welcoming,” Sharon says. “I really enjoyed talking with people and learning about their experiences.”
When Sharon heard that we were launching a new campaign to raise funds to screen 23,000 schoolkids in Ghana for eye conditions, her interest was piqued. Beyond her personal connection to the country, Sharon had another reason for taking interest in child eye health – she too has struggled with refractive error since she was in grade school.
“I’ve been wearing eyeglasses since I was nine years old,” she says, “and I studied visual arts during my undergraduate degree. So, vision is a huge thing for me.”
Sharon has generously decided to make a $10,000 contribution towards our Ghana School Eye Health project. She says that as a longtime donor, she has confidence in Operation Eyesight’s approach to community eye health.
“I like the fact that Operation Eyesight contributes to things like cataract surgery and also the delivery of education around good healthcare practices to avoid blindness and eye diseases,” she says, adding, “I also like how it trains locals to go out and educate people in their own communities.”
We are so grateful to Sharon for kicking off our Ghana School Eye Health campaign with her donation. We invite you to join her in transforming young lives!
