Eyesight is “priceless”: Patient embraces restored independence

Horibala, from the village of Godashimla, Bangladesh, likes to keep busy. The 65-year-old finds joy and motivation in her favourite pastimes: sewing and travel. But for years, she was unable to enjoy these activities as her eyes clouded over with cataracts. “I couldn’t see at all,” she recalls. “Even when I closed one eye to… Continue reading Eyesight is “priceless”: Patient embraces restored independence

Meet Faizunnahar, a community health volunteer in Bangladesh

As a community health volunteer, 28-year-old Faizunnahar spends her days bringing primary eye health care to the doorsteps of families who live in her area. She enjoys her job, but she knows that not everyone in her community approves of her work. In rural Bangladesh, where Faizunnahar lives, job opportunities for women are often limited… Continue reading Meet Faizunnahar, a community health volunteer in Bangladesh

Childhood friendship fuels hope for 23,000 kids in Ghana

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… Continue reading Childhood friendship fuels hope for 23,000 kids in Ghana

Restored sight gives grandmother in India a new lease on life

For Venkatamma in Karnataka, India, one of the most astounding things about getting her vision back is being able to keep track of time again. “You can’t imagine what it’s like to look at the clock in the morning,” the 65-year-old grandmother says with a laugh, “and to be able to tell the time!” Seeing… Continue reading Restored sight gives grandmother in India a new lease on life