Sight Gives Ghanaian Woman Back Her Life
In the heart of Ghana's Central Region, Ghanaian storyteller and photographer Francis Kokoroko captured a deeply moving account from Efua Daawa, a 71-year-old woman who recently underwent life-changing cataract surgery at Cape Coast Teaching Hospital in partnership with Cure Blindness Project. Her story highlights the profound challenges of vision loss and the transformative power of restored sight.
A Life of Hardship and Resilience
Efua Daawa, born in 1954, faced adversity from an early age. After her parents separated, she dropped out of school due to financial hardship and supported herself through trading and cooking near the Cape Coast market. Abandoned by her father, she and her sister fended for themselves. Pregnancy at a young age, followed by three failed relationships—including the recent loss of her last partner—left her relying solely on market sales for survival.
The Onset of Vision Loss
Efua's troubles deepened as whitish spots spread across her eyes, gradually impairing her vision and hindering her ability to work. The situation became dire when she was struck by a car one afternoon, leading to a three-week hospital stay at Cape Coast Teaching Hospital. With her business faltering, she relocated to the Central Region to live with family, who provided essential support. Yet her sight continued to worsen, making her feel like a burden. “These days, I barely know what happens around me. I don’t even know the whereabouts of my child,” she says.
Hope Amid Dependency
Efua leaned heavily on her devoted sister, who sacrificed her own needs to accompany and assist her during treatment. “I want to become independent and less of a burden on my sister and aging mother,” she says. Surgery will give her this.
A Joyful Revelation After Surgery
When Francis Kokoroko reconnected with Efua after her bandages were removed, her transformation was evident. She described the surgery as smooth and complication-free, with nurses providing excellent care. The moment the patches came off brought overwhelming joy: "I feel great joy. I feel like my younger self again; everything around me is beautiful. This makes me very happy." She anticipated renewed independence, allowing her sister greater freedom and relieving family pressures.
Efua's journey—from decades of struggle and gradual blindness to the bright clarity of restored vision—underscores a powerful truth she now embraces: sight is a gift too easily taken for granted until lost. Thanks to the Cure Blindness Project's outreach, Efua can now reclaim her autonomy, support herself once more, and step into a future filled with possibility and gratitude. Her story serves as an inspiring reminder of how accessible eye care can profoundly change lives in communities where such interventions are life-affirming.
“The next phase of my life will improve as I can do things myself,” Efua adds. “My sister can regain her freedom as she wouldn’t have to wait on me, which is a great relief. Like they say, you can’t appreciate your sight enough until you lose it.”
