Category: Communities

Preventing eye disease through community outreach

A community health worker in Assam, India discusses eye health with a man outside of his home during a door-to-door survey.

For most of her life, Napolo from Narok County, Kenya suffered from eye pain. The 78-year-old first noticed the discomfort when she was in her thirties. She said it felt like there was always sand in her eyes. Then her eyelids started turning inwards, causing more pain and irritation. She tried traditional remedies like plucking… Continue reading Preventing eye disease through community outreach

Putting community at the heart of our work

Premi reads a school book in front of her home in Udaipur, India. Photo: Aditya Sharma, Program Manager

Twelve-year-old Premi, in Rajasthan, India, loves reading and going to school, but in recent years, her enthusiasm for learning came under threat when her eyesight started to fade, making it difficult for her to read the blackboard and keep up with her studies. Premi is one of three children. Her parents and older brother work… Continue reading Putting community at the heart of our work

Community health worker breaks down barriers with empathy before eye charts

Community health worker Robiroy poses with a patient outside of a home in Meghalaya, India. Photo: Emmanuel Benia Tanti / Program Manager, India.

In the hills of Meghalaya’s Ri-Bhoi District, Robiroy, a young community health worker from Nongpoh Vision Centre, was assigned to serve 47 villages with a population of more than 16,000. Initially, he encountered skepticism from the community, as people feared medical interventions or had misconceptions. For many, fading vision was simply part of growing old.… Continue reading Community health worker breaks down barriers with empathy before eye charts

Decades of eye disease pain relieved for grandmother in Kenya    

Napolo’s eye health journey has brought immense relief. For decades she lived with painful trachoma, but surgery brought her lasting comfort and hope.

After living with painful eye disease for decades, Napolo from Kenya finally found lasting relief through trachoma surgery supported by Operation Eyesight and partners.