Tag: India

A lifetime of generosity

Audrey Wilson worked as an environmental education teacher throughout her career and has had a lifelong passion for helping others – including animals and birds. She’s been donating to Operation Eyesight since our early days and still gives today because she’s seen our impact first-hand.

Audrey Wilson, 88, first learned about Operation Eyesight from an uncle who attended a talk given by Dr. Ben Gullison, whose work in Sompeta, India inspired Art Jenkyns to start our organization in 1963. “Nearly six decades ago, that meeting planted seeds that have grown into a lifetime of giving,” Audrey recalls. “It was one… Continue reading A lifetime of generosity

Double victory: Twin sisters overcome Retinopathy of Prematurity

“There would be no life without eyesight,” says Vinit, the proud father of twin girls, Ayan and Vyan.   Last summer, Vinit and his wife Anchal learned that their baby girls were born with Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP). Together, the family has faced a challenging journey, witnessing the incredible growth and resilience of their precious daughters.… Continue reading Double victory: Twin sisters overcome Retinopathy of Prematurity

Making eye care part of health systems

Putting people first – Integrated Peoplecentred Eye Care (IPEC) is the gold standard in global eye health and has been a key part of our approach for decades. Understanding the unique needs, preferences and values of individuals and communities allows us to strengthen health systems in villages like Hong, in Arunachal Pradesh. Here, the vision centre is part of the local wellness centre.

Today, we are one of the few nongovernmental organizations partnering with the Government of India to open vision centres in existing government health facilities, bringing quality eye health care to underserved communities. Together, we are establishing and equipping vision care facilities, training existing healthcare staff and developing a continuum of care for patients – from… Continue reading Making eye care part of health systems

Sustainable impact through community partnership

Through our unique approach, known as our Hospital-Based Community Eye Health Program model, we declared 51 communities or villages across sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia as Avoidable Blindness-Free in 2022, including villages like Asafora, in Ghana. We work with community leaders and healthcare workers to ensure that the community supports and takes ownership of the process.

Asafora is like many other small villages in central Ghana; its several hundred residents are mostly farmers growing cassava and plantain, and many community members have faced barriers to accessing eye health care. What sets this community apart? It is the first village in the country we declared Avoidable Blindness-Free. The December 2022 declaration event… Continue reading Sustainable impact through community partnership