Cataract Campaign Donations Exceed Expectation
June is Cataract Awareness Month, an opportunity to raise awareness of the devastating impact of cataract blindness on millions of people around the world. Supporters of our mission exceeded fundraising goals meaning more people can be helped and see again!
The Development Team at HCP Cureblindness wants to convey their sincerest thanks for the outpouring of support during its recent Cataract Awareness Campaign. The campaign exceeded expectations and easily surpassed the needed amount to receive a 2-for-1 match committed by a group of donors.
“Every dollar raised means more people helped,” explains Ruth Bolan, Chief Development Officer. “I’m delighted but not surprised by the campaign’s success. We have some of the most generous supporters I’ve ever had the pleasure to work with.”
This spring (March-May), our program teams (with in-country partners) completed upwards of 17,000 cataract surgeries. In addition, more than 175,000 people received eye screenings to check their eye health and treat minor injuries before they lead to blindness.
Sight Restored in Ethiopia
At 21, Hanan Neseru is at the beginning of her life. With poor vision, she struggled in school and failed the national exam required to get into university. Her future appeared uncertain.
"I went to Alert Hospital, and they referred me to Menelik Hospital when my left eye's vision became almost blind, and my right eye also started to have low vision," she says.
Thanks to a campaign organized by HCP Cureblindness, Hanan was able to have surgery on both of her eyes. Now in focus, her future looks clear.
Sight Restored in Ghana
For 50-year-old businessman Alhaji Fusseini Yussif, surgeons at Ghana’s Tamale Teaching Hospital performed a miracle.
“Problems with my right eye began more than a year ago, and it has affected every aspect of my life. I perform my day's activities with difficulty, but I manage all the same. I have
been desperately looking for a solution because it is quite unbearable living with impaired sight.”
Alhaji looks forward to getting his life “back on track” now that his sight is restored.
Sight Restored in Tanzania
HCP Cureblindness in partnership with Helen Keller International restored sight to thousands at a recent outreach held in the capital city of Mbeya. A fact that has these patients cheering.
According to the World Health Organization, cataracts affect approximately 65.2 million people and account for almost half of all blindness. We know that 80-percent of blindness is treatable with the correct treatment. Your donations are making a difference.
On behalf of HCP Cureblindness and all of our partners, we are so grateful for your continued commitment to our mission to cure blindness.
