Nairobi, Kenya, September 10, 2021 – Today, September 10, Operation Eyesight Universal and the Uasin Gishu County Government officially launched their School Eye Health Program in the county. Through support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Child Blindness Program, the two-year program will provide vision screening and treatment for 80,000 children and 3,000 teachers in the sub-counties of Soy, Turbo and Aynaoui. (Video of the launch event here.)
“Access to eye care for school-age children is critical; about 80 percent of what a child learns is processed through the visual system,” said H. E. Governor Jackson Mandago, Uasin Gishu County. “This program will ensure that children receive the eye care they need, so they can continue to learn and achieve their dreams.”
While the official launch takes place today, program implementation began in March 2021 with 20 teachers being trained to use the Peek Acuity app, developed by Peek Vision, to identify students with eyesight problems. As of August 20, more than 27,000 children have been screened and 2,242 students have been referred for treatment. (Read Rehema’s story here.)
Eye screenings will be conducted in 200 schools over the course of two years. Students in need of eye care will be referred to a mobile ophthalmic triage team or the nearest eye health facility, and transportation will be provided as needed.
Essilor East Africa is supplying the prescription eyeglasses to correct the vision of children (and teachers) with refractive error. Children requiring further care, such as cataract surgery, will be referred to the Huruma Sub-County Hospital Eye Unit or one of Operation Eyesight’s partner hospitals for treatment. All students will receive the same level of quality care, regardless of their gender, treatment location or ability to pay.
“By investing in children’s eye health to treat diseases, correct refractive error and restore sight, we can transform lives, families and communities,” says Alice Mwangi, Country Manager – Kenya, Operation Eyesight. “We know that women and girls are more likely to suffer from vision impairment and less likely than men and boys to receive treatment and care. Through this project, many of the barriers faced by girls, such as cost and lack of transportation, are addressed. We will educate teachers, parents, grandparents and health workers on the additional barriers faced by girls so they understand and can play a role in addressing these challenges.”
In addition to providing screenings and treatment, the program will provide eye health education for students and teachers and encourage proper hand and face washing to prevent the spread of blinding trachoma. Eco-Soap Bank, a collaborating partner, is providing 100,000 bars of soap for children and teachers to use at school and at home. Operation Eyesight conducted a similar school screening program in Trans Nzoia County from 2016 to 2018 with great success. The program in Uasin Gishu County builds on the lessons learned and aims to not only provide quality eye health services to students but to further refine the program model for scaling up in Kenya. Program results will be shared at the county, national and international levels, enabling other organizations to use these findings when developing their school screening programs.
Operation Eyesight is working in partnership with the Ministries of Health and Education to integrate eye health care into the primary health and education systems and ensure the sustainability of eye health care services.
For more information, contact:
Elizabeth Roden
Director, Marketing & Communications
RodenE[at]operationeyesight.com
About Operation Eyesight Universal
Operation Eyesight is a Canada-based international development organization dedicated to eliminating avoidable blindness in developing countries. It was founded in 1963, and today works in Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Zambia, Bangladesh, India and Nepal to prevent blindness and restore sight. Operation Eyesight invests in sustainable treatment, prevention and community development activities to address specific eye health problems as well as the root causes of blindness. To learn more, visit operationeyesight.com.
About Peek Vision
Peek Vision powers eye health organizations with a proven suite of solutions to expedite delivery of care. The result is that more people can get the treatment they need. Peek works in low- and middle-income countries, partnering with health providers, NGOs and governments. With Peek, partners gain better insights, increase efficiency and deliver stronger health systems. Peek’s vision is to bring better vision and health to everybody.
This media release is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of Operation Eyesight Canada and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.
Operation Eyesight is excited to announce our funding partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). With support from USAID’s Child Blindness Program, we will provide vision screening and treatment for 80,000 children in Kenya.
Our team in Kenya will work closely with the local Ministries of Health and Education, targeting 80,000 students and 3,000 teachers in three sub-counties of Uasin Gishu County over a two-year period. Twenty teachers will be trained to use Peek Vision, a smartphone-based technology used to identify students with eyesight problems. Eye screenings will be conducted in 200 schools. Students in need of eye care will be referred to a mobile ophthalmic triage team or the nearest eye health facility, and transportation will be provided as needed.
Essilor East Africa will be supplying Operation Eyesight with the prescription eyeglasses needed to ensure that children (and teachers) receive the vision correction they require. Children requiring specialized care, such as cataract surgery, will receive treatment at one of our partner hospitals. Our continuum of care approach will ensure that students receive the same level of quality care, regardless of their gender, treatment location or ability to pay. Referral information and appointment reminders will be sent to the students’ parents through automated text messaging.
“By investing in children’s eye health to treat diseases, correct refractive error and restore sight, we can transform lives, families and communities,” says Alice Mwangi, Country Manager for Kenya. “We know that women and girls are more likely to suffer from vision impairment and less likely than men and boys to receive treatment and care. Through this project, many of the barriers faced by girls such as cost and lack of transportation are addressed. We will educate teachers, parents, grandparents and health workers on the additional barriers faced by girls so they understand and can play a role in addressing these challenges.”
This program is the culmination of strategic partnerships and leverages expertise and resources from other organizations to promote the integration of eye health into Kenya’s primary systems. By engaging the Ministries of Health and Education during all phases, we can ensure ongoing support and sustainability of the program. Ultimately, our goal is to integrate these school screenings and referral mechanisms within the entire county school system and have the local ministries take ownership of it.
From 2016 to 2018, we conducted a similar school screening program in the neighboring Trans Nzoia County. Our evaluation showed that an integrated system of care significantly improved the overall hospital attendance rate among children referred from Peek Vision compared with the standard system. Our program in Uasin Gishu County builds on the lessons learned in the Trans Nzoia initiative and aims to not only provide quality eye health services to school children but to further refine the model for scaling up in Kenya.
As an international development organization, we’re working to address the root causes of avoidable blindness and foster good health and well-being overall. That is why we’re also happy to share that Eco-Soap Bank will be providing 100,000 bars of soap for children and teachers of the program, for use at school and at home. Proper hand and face washing with soap and clean water can help prevent the spread of COVID-19 as well as blinding trachoma and other disease.
About USAID’s Child Blindness Program
With an emphasis on quality and innovation, USAID’s Child Blindness Program prevents and treats blindness, restores sight and provides eyeglasses to thousands of people in the poorest communities of the world each year. The program’s investments and actions are strategically focused around two main goals: 1) To increase the number of children provided with quality vision-saving eye care services; and 2) To advance the global knowledge base on best practices and innovative approaches for pediatric eye care programs. Since 1991, USAID’s Child Blindness Program has provided eye care to over seven million children worldwide.
Facts on Child Blindness
Facts retrieved on February 23, 2021 from: https://www.usaid.gov/childblindness
This announcement is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of Operation Eyesight Canada and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.
Charity Intelligence Canada (CI) has announced that Operation Eyesight has been selected as one of their Top 10 Impact Charities of 2020 for the third year in a row, and one of their Top 10 International Impact Charities.
Of the more than 800 Canadian charities rated on the Charity Intelligence site, Operation Eyesight was among the top performers for measurable impact, and the only Calgary-based organization in the international category. This recognition highlights the impact we create for every dollar we receive through donations.
Operation Eyesight makes an impact by restoring sight and preventing blindness for people in developing countries. They partner with local government and hospitals in these countries with a sustainable approach that eliminates avoidable blindness in the most vulnerable communities.
“When people suffer from poor eye health, their quality of life is diminished and the cycle of poverty is perpetuated,” says Candice Naylen, Vice President of Advancement. “When you invest in Operation Eyesight, you support programs that provide quality care to all in the communities where we work, regardless of age, gender or ability to pay. People who have been unreached in the past receive urgently needed eye health care, and entire communities become healthier and more resilient.”
According to the World Health Organization’s World Report on Vision, more than 2.2 billion people suffer from a vision impairment. For at least 1 billion people, their vision impairment has not yet been addressed – but their vision could be restored through a number of interventions, including prescription eyeglasses, cataract surgery, antibiotics or other forms of treatment. By providing these interventions, Operation Eyesight impacts the lives of individuals and their communities by giving them back their independence, helping them break the cycle of poverty.
Operation Eyesight works with local hospital partners to strengthen their capacity and offer a supply of quality, affordable eye care services to more people. They also create demand for these services by encouraging eye health-seeking behavior and empowering communities to take responsibility for their eye health needs. Operation Eyesight currently works in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Ghana, Kenya, Zambia, Liberia and Ethiopia, and they hope to expand to other countries that would benefit from their sustainable sight-saving programs.
To learn more, visit https://www.charityintelligence.ca/giving-with-impact/top-impact-charities
Ottawa, Canada – November 7, 2024 – Operation Eyesight Universal is delighted to celebrate the passage, on November 7, of the National Strategy for Eye Care Act, Bill C-284. We congratulate the Hon. MP Judy A. Sgro and the Hon. Senator Mohamed-Iqbal Ravalia for their tireless work in successfully bringing this important legislation to pass. (Find the announcement press release here).
By signing this important piece of legislation, the Canadian government has established itself as a global leader by prioritizing eye health care as an integral part of universal health care, while also achieving many of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In Canada, health care is a right. This Bill now makes eye health care a right as well. The passage of Bill C-284 gives hope to the one in five Canadians suffering from a condition that puts them at risk of blindness (eight million people) and the 1.2 million Canadians living with vision loss, figures which come from the 2023 Report Card on Vision Health in Canada, released by Fighting Blindness Canada and the Canadian Council of the Blind. The report states that every year, our national economic burden from vision loss is 32.9 billion dollars. The passage of Bill C-284 is about far more than sight – it is about education for children, employment for adults and independence for seniors.
Kashinath Bhoosnurmath, President and CEO of Operation Eyesight Universal, says, “Today, Canadians have achieved the right to sight, as our universal health care will incorporate eye health care for all, with the passing of Bill C-284, the National Strategy for Eye Care Act, into law. Eye health care too is a priority now in Canada. This impacts us all. The law will support the many Canadians who have eye conditions they do not know they have. It will also shine a light into the lives of the millions of Canadians who struggle not only with their vision but also with accessing the eye health care they need—across every part of Canada. This inclusive bill signifies that eye health care must be available, accessible and affordable, and it will support child development and learning, adult employment and productivity and senior connection and independence. We are delighted that Canada has the vision to step forward as a national and international leader. We can all see the benefits ahead.”
The importance of this legislation cannot be overstated. Universal eye health care is proactive, preventative and supportive. It includes regular eye exams, early detection of eye conditions, treatment and ongoing supports. For some, treatment can be as simple as getting a pair of prescription eyeglasses which can be transformative – recent research found that students who don't get the eyeglasses they need learn half as much as students with good or corrected vision, according to the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness. This research also stated that when vision is corrected in school it can influence lifelong earnings by up to 78 per cent. This example shows that eye health care impacts not only individuals but also local and global economies. Eye health contributes to several of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which have been set to build a more peaceful and prosperous world. These include good health and well-being, quality education and poverty reduction.
For decades, Operation Eyesight has brought inclusive eye health care to communities and regions in countries in Africa and South Asia. We do this by partnering with national, regional, and local governments and leaders, including the ministries of health and education. We act as a bridge between communities, connecting every child, woman and man to local eye health care.
In Alberta, we have been piloting eye health care programs by working with medically underserved communities. We are building relationships with and listening to communities to understand their unique needs, cultures, lived experiences and lifestyles (rural, urban and more), while growing our capacity to support this work in a good way. We know that inclusive eye health care works when people are aware of its importance, it is available and accessible when and where people need it – close to home, school or work – and it is open to all regardless of ability to pay.
We welcome the opportunity to collaborate with governments, organizations and community leaders in Canada to inform this new national eye care strategy. We look forward to contributing our voice to advocate for it to be inclusive so that it is accessible, affordable and available to all. We will continue to raise awareness of the importance of eye health and the need for eye health care in Canada. Together, let us take a long view of our collective right to sight.
Kris Kelm, Global Director, International Programs, Operation Eyesight Universal
Kashinath Bhoosnurmath, President & CEO, Operation Eyesight Universal
About Operation Eyesight Universal operationeyesight.com
Operation Eyesight Universal is an international development organization and registered charity working to prevent blindness and restore sight. Our vision is the elimination of avoidable vision loss. Founded in Calgary, Alberta, Canada in 1963, we are now a global community spanning four continents – Africa, Europe, North America and South Asia. Our vision is global and our focus is local, with teams on the ground in communities of work. Through activities like community outreach, water and sanitation projects, and health education, we at Operation Eyesight are addressing the root causes of avoidable vision loss which contribute to six United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: no poverty, good health and well-being, quality education, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, and partnerships for the goals.
For her family, 14-year-old Preeti is more than a daughter and sister – she is a caregiver to her three younger brothers and helps her single father run their household.
Preeti also has big dreams for her family, who live together in a remote village in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
“I am passionate about my studies and dream of elevating my family out of poverty,” she says.
Preeti is also responsible for hauling drinking water from a nearby pond. One day while fetching water, she slipped and fell in a thorny bush, injuring her eye. Within a few days, her eye became red and swollen. Despite receiving eye drops from a local pharmacy, a month later her vision in her wounded eye had decreased dramatically, making even routine chores difficult. At school, Preeti struggled to participate in class and play with other kids.
A door-to-door eye health screening in her area eventually brought two community health volunteers to the family’s doorstep. Upon examination, the volunteers told Preeti and her father that she might have a cataract. On the volunteers’ advice, Preeti’s father took her to our nearby partner hospital, the Rotary Eye and ENT Hospital in Udhampur, where doctors diagnosed her with a traumatic cataract.
“I was worried about the cost of the treatment and was almost in tears,” her father says. “But I was relieved when the hospital told me that Preeti would undergo free surgery.”
Shortly after her operation, Preeti regained her vision.
“Operation Eyesight’s work began in India 60 years ago. In that time, we have built in-roads in communities and brought access to eye health care,” explains Tapobrat Bhuyan, our local program manager. “Vision loss of one family member can be devastating for the whole family.”
For Preeti, her restored sight has been life changing for her entire family.
“Our family has found a new life,” explains Preeti’s father. “The villagers have told her she is a very cheerful child and very active.”
Preeti’s future is now full of hope, made possible through the generosity of our donors. Thank you!
By making a donation today, you can help transform the life of a child like Preeti.
For Helen Young, generosity runs in the family. Her mom Betty was passionate about donating eyeglasses. Today, Helen continues to support Operation Eyesight as an annual donor.
“I remember my mother used to donate her old glasses to Operation Eyesight. She knew that within a few months her gift would have an immediate impact in someone’s life,” Helen recalls. “I’ve continued to support Operation Eyesight for that very same reason.”
Helen lost her mom 15 years ago, but giving to Operation Eyesight is a mother-daughter bond that’s now spanned more than two decades.
Although we no longer collect used eyeglasses, providing people with new prescription eyeglasses is still a critical part of our work, made possible through monetary gifts from donors like Helen. Helen says supporting Operation Eyesight still makes sense after all these years, because of the tangible benefits it brings in the lives of individuals and communities.
“The work Operation Eyesight does has evolved over time,” she adds. “But as an annual donor, it’s satisfying to know that, by the end of the year, several people will have benefited.”
Click here to become a donor today and join Helen and with our global community of donors.
Thank you, Helen and Betty, for your years of support!
For the Jenkyns family, supporting Operation Eyesight has become a family tradition.
“For two decades, our entire family has come together each year for a shinny hockey game and fundraiser dinner,” says Linda Jenkyns, daughter of our founder Art Jenkyns. “It’s great to see the little ones growing up and becoming part of it.”
Three generations of the Jenkyns clan – including 11 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren – gather to raise money for the organization Art and Una Jenkyns created.
Art and Una’s son, Jim, says that Operation Eyesight has become a legacy for the entire family.
“Our parents modelled for us the importance of helping others,” he says. “We call it our ‘family culture,’ and it’s an honour to continue this work.”
As children, Jim, Linda and their three other siblings watched their parents lead Operation Eyesight. Six decades later, they say our organization has grown into something that would make their father proud.
“Dad’s whole life was service to others, from a very early age. He was making the world a better place for everyone, especially those who are underprivileged,” says Linda. “But he certainly didn’t expect it would last 60 years.”
Linda says there are many organizations people can choose to support, but she says Operation Eyesight has so many long-time supporters – and new donors as well – because we have stayed true to Art’s vision.
“I wonder how Dad would feel, now that others have taken on his vision and continued it with the same integrity,” Linda adds.
Six decades is a lifetime, and in that time Linda says the world has changed, and so has Operation Eyesight.
“It’s different from fundraising back in the 60s, when everything was dependent on speaking engagements,” Linda explains. “Today, there’s social media, and the way to get the word out is totally different and keeps changing.”
Jim agrees.
“Dad just wanted to do his part and see other people get involved,” he adds. “That’s what donors are doing today. It’s a tribute to our dad and mom.”
Thank you, Linda, Jim and your entire family, for your dedicated and passionate support over all these years! Visit operationeyesight.com/60years to learn more about our 60-year history.
I was recently in Kenya and Zambia, where I saw first hand the impact we are having, together.
In Kenya, I attended the grand opening event for the new operation theatre at Iten County Referral Hospital’s Eye Unit in Elgeyo Marakwet County. The facility’s design and construction meet international standards and will offer access to comprehensive eye examinations and treatment, diagnoses, specialist referral and surgery to more people than ever before. With our government partners and community members by our side, it was a powerful reminder of what these lifechanging eye health services mean to residents.
I then travelled to Zambia, where I attended the opening of a new vision centre in Kapiri Mposhi district. I also attended kickoff celebrations for the construction of the new Eye Unit at Kanyama General Hospital, where we are supporting both infrastructure development and staff training.
Brick and mortar facilities are just pieces of a much larger puzzle. Many people had to come together to make these events possible – from the community health volunteers who bring eye health care to people’s front doors, to the teams training healthcare staff in primary eye care, to the frontline staff providing care, to the community members who are adopting eye-healthy behaviours and seeking care when they need it. It truly is a team effort, and it was inspiring to see our global community come together.
For six decades, donors like you have been a key part of our global community and have helped projects like these come alive.
The communities and partners I visited used different languages, but the message was the same: thank you! It speaks to the lives that we are transforming, together.
The last few months of 2022 were busy ones for Caroline Ikumu, our program manager in Kenya (pictured above at far right). She spent much of that time on the road, travelling to visit our projects in Elgeyo Marakwet County.
But she isn't complaining. The cause of all this busyness was one to celebrate. Between October and the end of December of last year, 20 villages in the county were declared Avoidable Blindness-Free.
Far from being a mere formality, these declarations are the culmination of years of collaboration between the community, the local government and the partner hospital.
“In simple terms,” Caroline explains, “Avoidable Blindness-Free means that nobody in the village is suffering from blindness or visual impairment due to treatable and avoidable conditions, and the community is aware of where to get the services for new cases.”
Our approach
We call our approach the “Hospital-Based Community Eye Health Model.” It's a mouthful, but essentially it means we facilitate door-to-door screening to communities in remote and underserved villages and make referrals to our partner hospitals where people can access treatment.
In Kenya, we work with community health volunteers who are trained in primary health care and provide health education and services at the village level throughout the county. We deliver additional training in eye health, and then the volunteers go door to door in our project area to screen community members for eye conditions.
As they screen, the volunteers make referrals to the partner hospital, the eye unit at the Iten County Referral Hospital, where people can get treatment, such as cataract surgery or a pair of eyeglasses, free of charge. A volunteer might return to the same household several times to make sure every member of the family has been screened.
The community health volunteers also encourage people identified with eye problems to attend outreach camps that are centrally located within the villages to make sure everyone has access to further screenings. From there, transport may be arranged for those needing treatment at the partner hospital.
Working with community leaders and health care workers, we make sure that the community is in support of the project and can take ownership of it.
Health education
Another part of the community health volunteer’s role is providing education about health issues, often attending social meetings such as micro-savings groups called “chamas” to make sure they’re reaching people when it's convenient for them.
Due to misconceptions about surgeries, not everyone jumps at the chance to get treatment, so the volunteers identify community members who have had success with their treatment to act as ambassadors. “So they tell them, ‘I was not able to see. I could not work. Now I’m back at my farm. I’m evidence that you can be treated and start your life again,’” explains Caroline.
Our programmers also conduct PACEH meetings – PACEH being an acronym for Participatory Approach to Community Eye Health. These meetings help our team understand the perception of the community on eye diseases, eye health providers and treatment received. They also identify misconceptions and address gaps in knowledge on eye health, and they ask community members if they know of anyone who might still be experiencing vision loss or blindness. Finally, they ensure community members know where and when to seek treatment so that they can take responsibility for their own eye health going forward.
Resurvey, validation & declaration
Community health volunteers conduct door-to-door surveys again towards the end of project duration to ensure that there are no backlog cases. During these screenings, ophthalmic workers screen at least 10 per cent of the population to see if the volunteers are accurate in their assessments and whether they need any refresher training.
After a village has gone through the resurvey process and we have determined that all those requiring treatment have received it and that the level of eye health awareness is high, the next step is a declaration event. The partner hospital works with community health volunteers and local government officials to arrange a time and date for a village celebration, and they often erect a billboard to mark the achievement.
During the declaration, beneficiaries speak about how their restored sight has changed their lives. Caroline recalls one older woman who had never seen her two grandchildren due to cataracts. After surgery, the grandmother laid eyes on the children for the first time and cried with joy.
“Everyone is happy because they can see their hard work paying off,” says Caroline of the declaration events. “They are proud of themselves because it’s a milestone that we have achieved together.”
Sustainability
Caroline explains that the idea behind eye health education is to change behaviour, so that the community members take charge, prioritize their own eye health and seek treatment when necessary, without anyone having to remind them. By constructing and equipping the eye units and training ophthalmic workers, we ensure the community will continue to have access to treatment for years to come.
Operation Eyesight Universal is committed to working toward the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, which are a universal call to action to create a more fair, just and equitable world ensuring no one is left behind. Sign up for our eNews to learn more about how we are working to end poverty, promote good health and well-being, increase gender equality, provide access to clean water and promote partnerships to achieve the goals.
The holidays are quickly approaching, and I know many of you are looking forward to gathering with loved ones for caroling, games and of course, turkey dinner.
Although turkey dinner isn’t a tradition in my family (I eat what turkeys eat, grass and grains), after hearing a recent story shared by the Jenkyns family, any mention of turkey dinner will forever remind me of Art Jenkyns, the founder of Operation Eyesight.
Not only did Art cherish the holidays, but being the resourceful scout that he was, he loved a good turkey bag.
Back in the 1960s, Art, his wife, Una, their five children – Arleigh, Bill, Jim, Linda and Tom – and the family dog, Cookie, would pile into their Chevy sedan and set out for a three-week camping adventure in the mountains. With space being limited, Art ensured that everything was well-organized and nicely packed in the trunk or under a canvas cover on the car’s rooftop. Each child was given one bag to pack their belongings in – and, you guessed it, it was a turkey bag.
“These camping trips are some of our fondest memories,” say the Jenkyns children, now parents and grandparents themselves. “Dad was an incredible leader, whether it was organizing our campsite and teaching us how to set up our 9x9 tent or running Operation Eyesight and inspiring others to support a cause that was so close to his heart.”
While he kept very busy with his ‘day job’ at a local insurance broker and his ‘evening job’ doing work for Operation Eyesight, Art always made time for his family and friends. He was the kind of man who took genuine interest in others. When he spoke to you, it was as if you were the only person in the room. Even today, our supporters speak warmly of the time they met Art when he made a presentation to their church or club. They might have only had a few minutes with Art, but the impression he made and the passion he ignited in them has lasted a lifetime.
I never had the privilege of meeting Art but, having seen the impact of his legacy firsthand from South Asia to sub-Saharan Africa to Canada and beyond, I can say that he was truly a visionary. He was committed to providing quality eye health services to everyone, regardless of their financial circumstances, and he was dedicated to finding local solutions to local problems, promoting the goal of sustainable development. The fact the Operation Eyesight will soon be celebrating its 60th anniversary proves this.
The facilities that Operation Eyesight helped to establish during Art’s lifetime continue to deliver critical services today. Whenever I visit our old partner hospitals, I am filled with a sense of gratitude toward Art. I see his photo proudly displayed on waiting room walls, and retired physicians share many wonderful stories with me.
The Jenkyns children say that Art never imagined that, nearly six decades later, the organization he founded would still be in existence. Yet today, Operation Eyesight is the biggest and most impactful it has ever been. Art’s legacy lives on with every pair of eyeglasses given to a child, with every cataract surgery provided to a parent or grandparent, and with every supporter who reminisces about the time they met an incredible man named Art Jenkyns.
Thank you to our donors and partners who brought Art’s vision to life all those years ago, and to those who continue to carry out his legacy today – For All The World To See.
Best wishes for a joyful, healthy holiday season. And if you’ll be enjoying a turkey dinner this year, I hope the turkey bag reminds you of Art, his legacy and the life-changing impact of your generosity.
Two years ago, as a tribute to Art and Una, the Jenkyns family rekindled the Art and Una Jenkyns Legacy Fund, which will be used to create an endowment fund that will continue the Jenkyns legacy for years to come. Those interested can contribute to the Fund here.
