“DONATIONS FROM OUR donors truly transform lives.”
Those are the words of Wim Desmedt, Head of Individual Giving for the charity Sightsavers Ireland. Wim’s goal, and that of his colleagues, is to end avoidable blindness, treat and eliminate neglected tropical diseases and bring opportunities to people with disabilities.
Sightsavers is celebrating its 20th anniversary working in Ireland this year. This Christmas, it needs your help to continue its life-changing work.
Sightsavers works in more than 30 countries to prevent avoidable blindness. Working with governments and local, national and international partners, Sightsavers helps to carry out eye operations and distribute treatments where they’re needed the most.
Globally, 2.2 billion people have a vision impairment and of these, at least 1 billion people suffer from preventable blindness. This burden is felt most keenly in poorer countries and marginalised communities. Projections show that global demand for eye care is set to surge in the coming years.
Wim took a trip to see the difference Sightsavers is making in Zambia with the local team there. Everyone who works on the local team is Zambian, creating a sustainable network in the country.
Within the local team is Dr Postan Phiri, a former ophthalmic doctor. He is qualified to perform cataract surgeries, thanks to the support of Sightsavers, who had financed his education.
Wim noted a severe lack of access to eye healthcare for all of the 10 children he encountered on his trip, who were between the ages of 11 months and 10 years. Some lived in remote areas, far away from access to eye health care while others lived in urban areas where eye health support was minimal.
In Zambia, there are only two hospitals that perform child cataract operations, in Lusaka and Kitwe. For some of the children that Wim met, that meant a journey of more than 12 hours by bus.
Another issue faced by the children and their families is the lack of understanding and trust in what cataract surgery really means. Concerned parents receive misinformation from community leaders and traditional doctors which means trusting Sightsavers to take care of their children is a big step for many.
But it’s a step that is an absolute necessity. Wim met Luyando and Prodinah, two cousins with cataracts, who had become very shy and timid young girls as a result of their condition. The disease represented a narrowing of their life options – without surgery, they would never have the life that every child deserves.
Children who become blind in Zambia are left behind in society. They are restricted to their homes for their safety. Their world becomes smaller and smaller, leaving the child isolated from the community.
When I talked to their moms, they talked about how their bubbly characters had slowly disappeared and they became quiet and dependent”, said Wim. “When I saw them after the surgery, all smiles, playing in the garden of the hospital, chasing soap bubbles, my eyes got teary. The transformation that they went through in just a couple of days was mind-blowing.”
“Sightsavers was their only option in life to get treatment for their condition,” added Wim.
The real impact of Sightsavers’ work is the joy that life-changing surgery brings.
“The smiles on the faces of the children when the bandages came off after the surgery were just magical. It was as if the children realised that now they could see clearly, their bad days were over,” Wim said.
To continue their vital work, Sightsavers needs your help. With your help this Christmas, Sightsavers can continue to change the lives of children desperately in need. For a donation of just €103, you can enable a child to receive transformative surgery and change their life for the better.
Due to the damaging nature of cataracts, the urgent surgery must take place before the child turns ten. Otherwise, the blindness becomes irreversible.
From Wim’s visit to Zambia, not only did the children’s joy leave a lasting impression on him, but the relief on the faces of the parents was evident as well.
I remember the despair of the parents of the children. The impact that the surgery had on the children was massive, but the fact that there was a huge weight falling from the parents’ shoulders was potentially something that I related to even more. Young mothers and fathers, who before the surgery were completely desperate, had turned into happy and hopeful parents overnight. The way their eyes said thank you when they looked at us, are just some of the moments that I will not easily forget,” said Wim.
This Christmas, will you give the gift of sight? For €103, you could provide a life changing cataract operation for a child. Visit Sightsavers to donate today.
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