The Art and Una Jenkyns Legacy Fund
Art Jenkyns used to say, “You can’t change the world, but you can change some people’s world.” As founder of Operation Eyesight, he did just that. And as a dedicated husband and father, he also made the world a better place for his family.
As a tribute to Art and his loving wife Una, we are pleased to share that we are rekindling the Art and Una Jenkyns Legacy Fund. We invite you to join us in honouring their legacy.
The Art and Una Jenkyns Legacy Fund
Art and Una made the world a better place for many people, including their children and grandchildren. They were encouraging and optimistic, and they instilled in their children the importance of giving back to the community and making the world a better place for those less fortunate. Their family remains dedicated to carrying on their legacy by supporting the cause that was so dear to their hearts.
The Jenkyns family is pleased to announce The Art and Una Jenkyns Legacy Fund, which will support training programs to increase the number of qualified eye health personnel in India. This training is critical to ensure that Operation Eyesight’s local partner hospitals and vision centres have the capacity to provide desperately needed care to the surrounding communities.
Please join the Jenkyns family in honouring the legacy of Art and Una Jenkyns by helping them rekindle this important fund. Art and Una were remarkable people, and with your help, the important work they started will live on for generations to come.
How the Jenkyns Legacy Began
In 1963 when Art met Dr. Ben Gullison, a physician who worked at a mission hospital in India, he learned that many people in developing countries lived with blindness that could be treated, but that they couldn’t afford eye care or didn’t know where to go for help. He started Operation Eyesight to raise money to provide quality care to people who couldn’t afford it.
Operation Eyesight developed into a partnership between generous Canadians and Indian eye doctors. To reduce the large backlog of cataract cases, Operation Eyesight funded screening camps, cataract surgeries and training for eye health staff.
Una placed her trust in Art and did everything she could to help him get the organization established, which included caring for their five children on her own while Art travelled to India.
Throughout the years, Operation Eyesight has expanded to other areas in South Asia and in Africa, and the organization now focuses on a variety of eye health issues. Through community eye health programs that reach people who otherwise wouldn’t have access to care, Operation Eyesight provides families with health counselling and quality eye health care, whether they can afford to pay for it or not.
