Frontline workers reach remote patients in Africa (Part 1 of 2)

When medical personnel are scarce and rural populations are sparse, it’s time to get creative. Basic eye care is a significant problem in many parts of Africa; in fact, sub-Saharan Africa has one of the highest rates of visual impairment and blindness in the world. Poverty, disease and lack of access to eye care all… Continue reading Frontline workers reach remote patients in Africa (Part 1 of 2)

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

Picturing a brighter future

Today I’d like to tell you about a couple of photographs that mean a lot to me – and why. I currently serve Operation Eyesight as vice-president of Advancement, but back in 2002, I was volunteering on the Board of Directors. In that year I made my first visit to Africa and India to learn… Continue reading Picturing a brighter future

Ongata Naado – a village transformed (Part 2 of 2)

Last week I wrote about this village in Kenya, and how the Maasai people suffered from the agonizing trachoma disease, largely due to lack of water. After Operation Eyesight drilled a water borehole in 2007, everything began changing for these people. The difference between my first visit to Ongata Naado in 2006 (before the well… Continue reading Ongata Naado – a village transformed (Part 2 of 2)