We must see through their eyes (Part 1 of 2)

Have you ever wondered why Operation Eyesight is so big on quality? It’s a fair question. Why insist on high international standards for poor people? Isn’t just about anything better than what they have? To answer that, picture a tribal woman in a remote part of India, who is going blind from cataracts. She’s a… Continue reading We must see through their eyes (Part 1 of 2)

Frontline workers reach remote patients in Africa (Part 2 of 2)

Formerly blind from cataracts, Bernard Simiyu now walks long distances to help others see again. (Photo by Ric Rowan.)

Last week, I told you how many African countries are training frontline workers, including public health care staff, schoolteachers, midwives and traditional healers, to identify eye problems and other health concerns when they are working in the community. This type of community development program is highly effective in identifying health risks. When I was at… Continue reading Frontline workers reach remote patients in Africa (Part 2 of 2)

A teacher learns that clear vision is possible again

I met Sister Cecilia Chematia last year at Kenya’s Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in the small city of Eldoret. (Read more about my visit to the hospital here.) Operation Eyesight and its donors have supported the hospital’s eye unit since 2005. A 74-year old Roman Catholic nun from the Kaiboi convent, 50 km outside… Continue reading A teacher learns that clear vision is possible again

A smile worth seeing

Imagine losing your sight. It’s a highly emotional experience, even if the blindness is not trauma-related. With your vision gradually declining due to cataracts or other eye conditions, you’d feel sorrow, uncertainty and anxiety about the future. You’d naturally be apprehensive about eye surgery, yet eager for the possibility to be able to see again.… Continue reading A smile worth seeing