Heeralal, 45, was a resident of a village near the Community Heath Centre (CHC) Niwas in Singrauli district in India. Passionate about health care, he joined the government as a multipurpose health worker (MPW) to serve people in remote and underserved areas.
In 2010, Heeralal became a para medical ophthalmic assistant (PMOA) after the Government of Madhya Pradesh called for MPWs to undergo PMOA training. He conducted regular eye exams at CHC Niwas but was disheartened by having only two or three patients a day. He took part in school screenings and cataract camps as awareness grew.
In 2022, Heeralal saw a turning point when we launched our Integrated People-Centred Eye Care project in Singrauli. CHCs were upgraded to vision centres, equipped with slit lamps and essential ophthalmic tools. PMOAs received refresher training for comprehensive eye examinations to build eye care capacity. A series of targeted interventions rolled out. We trained community health officers, accredited social health activists (ASHAs) and community health volunteers (CHVs). Screening camps were organized with a mobile vision van to boost awareness. With support from ASHAs and CHVs, Heeralal soon saw 12 to 15 patients daily.
Today, Heeralal feels more inspired than ever by the transformation in rural healthcare. His motivation grows with every person whose sight is restored.
Did you know? Integrating eye care into universal health care is one of the five recommendations of the World Health Organization 2019 World Report on Vision.
Learn more about our work in India here.
Learn why we're working to integrate eye health care into primary health care here.
Twelve-year-old Premi, in Rajasthan, India, loves reading and going to school, but in recent years, her enthusiasm for learning came under threat when her eyesight started to fade, making it difficult for her to read the blackboard and keep up with her studies.
Premi is one of three children. Her parents and older brother work as day labourers on nearby farms to support the family. Despite their efforts, money is often tight, and a visit to the optometrist would be a stretch for them. Fortunately for Premi, her school was visited by one of our eye screening teams as part of our Vision-centre Based Community Eye Health Project with our partner in the area, the Alakh Mayan Mandir Eye Hospital. Premi was quickly diagnosed with refractive error and received a pair of prescription eyeglasses, free of charge.
The whole family is grateful that this bright young girl can continue her studies, with hope for a brighter future.
Our approach to eye health ensures entire communities – including schoolkids like Premi – get screened for eye conditions and can access treatment at low or no cost. By offering multiple screening opportunities at schools, vision centres, screening camps and right on people’s doorsteps, we make sure nobody falls between the cracks.
Our approach starts at the planning level – working with government and community partners to select a location with a high prevalence of vision loss and low socio-economic status – and a partner hospital with a compatible mission and vision.
Next, we collaborate with partners on an action plan, define the project area and decide on locations for vision centres. Once established, the vision centres act as links between communities and hospitals, providing comprehensive eye exams, dispensing glasses and making referrals to our partner hospital for surgeries.
Then, the training of community health workers begins. These frontline workers, mostly women, learn how to conduct visual acuity tests, identify various eye conditions, make referrals and provide eye health education. For many of our beneficiaries, the relationship with our programs begins and ends with the community health worker – who might visit the same household many times, offering kindness, compassion and counselling to nervous patients, as well as their eye health expertise.
After their training, the community health workers fan out to our various communities of work, doing a baseline door-to-door survey and referring patients to the vision centres and partner hospitals for further diagnosis and treatment.
As we continue our work in the area, our teams organize various screening camps and school screenings to give everyone multiple opportunities to have their eyes checked. Community health workers also continue their door-to-door work, checking in on patients, providing eye health education and troubleshooting any problems patients might face in getting treatment. Teams crunch numbers to monitor progress and evaluate each project, later bringing in external agencies to audit the work.
When the community health volunteers have done their final survey to make sure there are no backlog cases, villages and communities are declared as Avoidable Blindness-Free through public celebrations. At this point, the vision centres have become self-sustaining, so they can continue to deliver quality eye care services beyond the project’s duration.
The community health workers we employ for our door-to-door surveys can offer much more than just eye health expertise. Many have received additional training in primary health care and can provide advice and referrals for things like immunizations, vitamins, and maternal and newborn health care.
Shakuntala, an Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) with the Government of India, spent eight years providing advice to expectant mothers, and offering newborn care support, before she received additional training in primary eye care. With her experience, she can continue to offer referrals and education to mothers while she does her eye health screenings.
In 2024 alone, our community health workers linked more than 50,000 children aged five and under with crucial vitamin A injections, which reduces the severity of childhood illness and increases survival rates, while also helping them develop healthy vision. Also in 2024, we referred more than 16,000 expectant mothers and 12,000 nursing mothers with health facilities for check-ups.
Moreover, a community health workers frequent visits to a household can help them monitor a patient’s progress not only with an eye condition but with other health problems as well.
Take Bulal in Nepal, for example, a 97-year-old man who has cataracts as well as diabetes. When Meena, an Operation Eyesight-trained community health worker, met Bulal during a door-to-door survey in 2021, she realized that he would need additional support to get the treatment he needed for his low vision. While he had been previously diagnosed with cataracts, the doctor told Bulal that his unstable blood sugar levels – and his high blood pressure – made cataract surgery too risky. Bulal thought he would live out his final days in darkness.
But when Meena heard his story, she set a plan in motion. Over the next few months, with Meena’s support and guidance, Bulal stabilized his sugar levels and brought down his blood pressure so he could safely undergo surgery. His family was grateful to see Bulal restored to his former dignity and independence once he could see clearly again.
From patient to ambassador – spreading the word about eye health
Ntiiti, a mother of five from a remote village in Kenya’s Kajiado County, started losing her vision in 2020. She didn’t know why she couldn’t see clearly and wondered if she was the victim of a curse. Soon, her vision was so poor that she could no longer perform essential day-to-day tasks like making meals, taking care of her children and looking after the family’s cattle.
Help arrived unexpectedly when a community health promoter, whom we’d trained in primary eye care, visited her home while conducting door-to-door screenings. He identified cataracts and sent her to a nearby eye screening camp for a formal diagnosis. At the camp, an ophthalmologist confirmed Ntiiti had bilateral cataracts and referred her for surgery. Ntiiti had never been to a hospital or clinic before, because of the distance to these facilities from her village, but our team helped arrange transportation so that she could get the treatment she needed. Thanks to our generous donors, she received surgeries on both eyes, free of charge.
Amazed by the difference the surgeries made to her life, Ntiiti told everyone in her community who complained of vision or eye problems about her miraculous recovery. Soon, she had her first recruit – a widowed mother of six who was living in total blindness. Ntiiti connected her to the community health promoter and even accompanied her to the hospital for her surgery.
We have many similar stories of patients like Ntiiti who become ambassadors for our programs. It speaks to the strength of our approach – by taking the time to build relationships in the community, patients with success stories become empowered to spread the word about the importance of getting treated for blindness and vision loss.
To create the biggest impact, we start at the community level. By training and empowering local health workers, we can help create lasting connections that bring eye care directly to people’s doorsteps. These trusted workers are the heart of our model – identifying problems early, guiding patients through treatment and spreading awareness that can transform entire villages.
With your support, we can train more health workers, open more vision centres and ensure that no one is left behind. Donate today to help us build a future where avoidable vision loss is eliminated for good.
In the hills of Meghalaya’s Ri-Bhoi District, Robiroy, a young community health worker from Nongpoh Vision Centre, was assigned to serve 47 villages with a population of more than 16,000.
Initially, he encountered skepticism from the community, as people feared medical interventions or had misconceptions. For many, fading vision was simply part of growing old.
To overcome these barriers, Robiroy put aside his medical charts and stepped into courtyards, looking to connect with people with warmth and empathy. Over cups of tea, he listened, shared stories, and spoke of restored sight as a path to dignity and independence.
Small victories soon blossomed. An elder who had received eye care could weave again. A farmer saw his fields clearly. Success stories spread across villages. Soon, Nongpoh Vision Centre saw patients surge, and 520 seniors received cataract surgeries. Families began prioritizing eye care across generations.
Currently, five of Robiroy’s 47 villages will soon be declared Avoidable Blindness-Free. He is not just restoring vision – he is sparking an eye care movement!
With files from Emmanuel Benia Tanti, Program Manager, India.
Did you know? Donations to Operation Eyesight help us train community health workers like Robiroy to deliver primary eye care in remote, rural and underserved communities. Donate today.
Every day, 10-year-old Benjamin in Kenya proudly leads his family’s goats out to graze, a chore that once seemed unthinkable, because from a young age, Benjamin was blind.
Benjamin lives with his parents and six siblings in the village of Olookitareti in Kajiado County. The family struggles financially; Benjamin’s father Joshua has a chronic illness, while his mother, who lives with a disability, does her best to manage their livestock herds while also caring for the children.
In 2023, a local disability advocacy group referred Benjamin to a special needs boarding school, where he learned to read braille. His parents were grateful that he would receive an education, but they still worried about his future.
The following year, a community health worker identified cataracts in Joshua’s eyes during a door-to-door screening and referred him to our surgical camp. He took Benjamin along, hoping for a diagnosis for the child as well.
At the camp, Benjamin was also diagnosed with cataracts and referred to our pediatric cataract camp happening at another facility. But on the day of the camp, he didn’t show up. The outreach team made calls to the family to track him down, but their calls went unanswered. Finally, our community health promoter located Benjamin at his school. She later discovered that the family had lost their phone.
Recognizing the urgency of Benjamin’s condition, our outreach team contacted the family’s close friend, Pastor Titus, who accompanied Benjamin to the surgical camp with the family’s blessing.
Thanks to the support of our partners and donors like you, Benjamin successfully underwent surgery and had his vision restored. Joshua also underwent surgery and can now see clearly.
Now, Benjamin attends a regular primary school, confidently tackling Grade I. He reads and writes with ease and loves to join soccer games with the other children in the village.
His parents are grateful that Benjamin can now live up to his full potential.
Written with files from Patrick Wainaina Muthii.
This holiday season, consider giving the Gift of Sight to transform lives for more children like Benjamin!
For most of her life, Napolo, from Narok West Sub-county near the Kenya-Tanzania border, lived with constant eye pain. Now 78 years old, she first noticed discomfort in her 30s. Her eyes often felt irritated, as if filled with sand, and she experienced tearing and discharge that made it difficult to see. This attracted flies, but Napolo had no access to clean water to wash her face.
Napolo wasn’t aware that she was suffering from trachoma, a bacterial infection of the eye and the leading cause of blindness in areas with shortages of water and crowded living conditions. The bacteria spreads easily through contact with eye discharge from infected people on hands and clothing, and also through direct transmission by flies.
If left untreated, trachoma causes the eyelids to turn inward, making the eyelashes rub painfully against the surface of the eye. This causes permanent scarring of the cornea and irreversible vision loss.
Without access to regular health care, Napolo turned to traditional remedies. Her family members would pluck out her eyelashes to help ease the pain, but the relief never lasted. The irritation always returned, and over time, Napolo’s vision became worse.
In her Maa community, many people had similar symptoms, and plucking one's eyelashes out was considered normal. Health workers occasionally visited their community, but Napolo often missed them because she was always out looking after her animals, sometimes even crossing over the border to let the animals graze in Tanzania. She somehow managed despite her diminishing vision and increasing pain.
One fateful day, an Operation Eyesight-trained Community Health Promoter visited Napolo’s home – and the visit changed everything.
You see, for many years Operation Eyesight has been working to eliminate trachoma in communities like Napolo’s. Through the Kenya Trachoma Elimination Program, funded by Sightsavers International, Operation Eyesight and partners are working to eliminate trachoma in Narok West Sub-county and the entire country by 2028. With this support, and in collaboration with the Narok County Department of Health, we launched a door-to-door screening initiative to identify remaining cases of trachoma trichiasis – the painful late stage of the disease. We provided training and resources for local Community Health Promoters. They screen people in their communities and refer those in need of eye care to our nearest partner facility.
During a community screening in November 2024, Napolo was identified and referred to Talek Health Centre, an outreach site that provides surgical treatment for trachoma patients. At the health centre, the ophthalmic team examined Napolo’s eyes and confirmed her diagnosis.
Napolo agreed to undergo eyelid surgery to correct her inward-turned eyelids. The procedure was successful, and her recovery brought immense relief, preventing further damage to her eyes and preserving her remaining vision.
“I have longed for this comfort for decades. There is no more discomfort, and I can open my eyes freely,” Napolo said. “I thank Operation Eyesight and the doctors who assisted me, and I will definitely refer anyone in my community that has the same problem so that they can be assisted.”
Napolo’s story shows how access to quality eye care can transform lives.
Did you know? Trachoma is the leading cause of infectious blindness.
Currently, 103 million people live in trachoma endemic areas and are at risk of trachoma blindness, and presently 1.9 million people are experiencing vision impairment or blindness due to the disease.1 It is found in 32 countries, in areas with shortages of clean water and crowded living conditions. Caused by the bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis, trachoma is spread by eye-seeking flies and personal contact. Children and women are at particular risk.
Operation Eyesight follows the World Health Organization-endorsed SAFE strategy, which has proven effective in eliminating trachoma. The SAFE strategy is a comprehensive treatment and prevention program that includes Surgery to treat the late stage of the disease, Antibiotics to eliminate infection, Face washing and hygiene education, and Environmental change including wells and latrines.
Join us in supporting programs that bring vital vision care to people like Napolo and also address the root causes of vision loss. Together, we can eliminate trachoma and ensure everyone has access to the eye care they deserve. Give the Gift of Sight today. Join us in supporting programs that bring vital vision care to people like Napolo and also address the root causes of vision loss. Together, we can eliminate trachoma and ensure everyone has access to the eye care they deserve. Give the Gift of Sight today.
If you sprain an ankle or come down with a bad cough, your first stop is usually your family doctor. But when it comes to blurry vision, the path to care often looks very different. Around the world, eye health is still treated separately from primary health care, creating gaps that leave people without the vision help they need. Even in countries with universal health coverage, you might receive a complex eye surgery at no cost, yet pay out of pocket – or use private health insurance – for something as simple as a pair of eyeglasses.
At Operation Eyesight, we believe this needs to change. That’s why we’re working to strengthen areas of overlap between primary eye care and primary health care in our countries of operation. That means supporting the World Health Assembly’s integrated people-centred eye care (IPEC) resolution by working to integrate eye health into national health systems – and increasing access to free or subsidized eye health care.
It also means addressing the root causes of avoidable vision loss. In some regions in Africa, we bring fresh water and hygiene education to communities to help prevent infectious eye conditions. We also work to make sure our services offer more than just eye care, but can also link patients to other types of health care.
Health conditions rarely exist in silos – and vision loss is no exception. Diabetes, for example, increases the risk of eye conditions like cataracts. For 15-year-old Vanessa in Zambia, blurry vision was one of the first signs of the disease. When she started having problems reading the blackboard at school, a teacher sent her to our vision centre in her community of Matero for a checkup. From there, she received a referral to our partner hospital, where she learned that she not only had cataracts, but diabetes as well. Doctors helped her get her blood sugar levels under control, and then she got cataract surgery. Today, she is managing her diabetes and thriving in school, with dreams of becoming a doctor.
Vision problems can also cause a downward mental health spiral. Benson, a farmer in Kenya, lost his ability to work due to poor vision. As a result, he became angry and depressed, then turned to alcohol and drugs to cope with his situation. Luckily, his family got him into a drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility, where a visiting doctor diagnosed him with cataracts. Benson underwent surgery on both eyes, provided free of charge thanks to the support of our donors, and can see clearly now. Buoyed by his miraculous recovery, Benson finished up his time at the rehabilitation facility and happily threw himself back into farming.
In Canada, where Operation Eyesight is based, navigating eye care can be confusing. While the Canada Health Act covers medically-necessary eye health services, routine vision care like eye exams and prescription glasses often isn’t part of the deal. That leaves provinces and territories to fill in the gaps, and the result is a patchwork system. For example, seniors in Ontario get routine eye exams covered once they hit 65, but in Newfoundland and Labrador, those same seniors might have to pay out-of-pocket. It’s inconsistent, and it’s especially tough on vulnerable populations.
There is some support through the Federal Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) program, which covers eye exams and eyewear for eligible First Nations and Inuit individuals. But even that has its hurdles: remote communities, limited healthcare infrastructure and cultural differences that make accessing care more complicated than it should be.
The passage of the National Strategy for Eye Care Act in 2024 was a major step forward in addressing these issues. As chair of the Canadian Eye Health Coalition, Operation Eyesight is helping shape a national framework that prioritizes equitable access to vision care. Our Global Director of International Programs, Kris Kelm, explains why it’s important that we have a seat at the table during the consultation period and beyond.
“We know that there will be many voices in this conversation with diverse interests, and we want to ensure there is representation from patients who have the least means and the least ability to access vision care,” he says. “The fact that we have over 60 years of experience working in this sector gives us a strong background to speak credibly to how we need to approach things in Canada, and our community partners can provide valuable insights to help shape eye care for all.”
He adds that Canada can learn from some of our countries of work, where eye health has been better integrated into the overall health systems and other public frameworks. As an example, he points to Ghana, where we work with the ministries of health and education to screen and treat students for eye conditions in the public school system. We have similar programs in Kenya and Zambia, too.
Another example is in India, where we are working with state governments to establish vision services in pre-existing government health centres. Building the capacity of vision care facilities within the country’s national health care system ensures that services reach the most underserved populations, as patients who are able to pay most typically seek care at for-profit facilities, rather than attending government services.
Shakuntala, in Madhya Pradesh, India, spends her days walking door to door through villages in her region, checking in on the health and well-being of families. She’s one of the million-strong network of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs), employed by the Indian government, who deliver primary health care at the community level.
Her work includes providing pregnancy advice, supporting newborn care, educating parents about vaccinations and vitamins for children, and making all kinds of referrals to local clinics and hospitals. In 2022, Shakuntala added another set of skills to her toolkit: conducting primary eye health screenings, thanks to training provided by our Operation Eyesight team, in partnership with the Government of Madhya Pradesh. Shakuntala learned to measure visual acuity using an eye chart. She also learned to identify the signs and symptoms of various eye conditions. Once she identifies a patient with a possible eye condition, she refers them to the base hospital for diagnosis and treatment. In the meantime, she continues to provide advice and referrals on nutrition, vaccinations, prenatal care and other health concerns.
Shakuntala is just one of the thousands of community health workers we work with across the globe. In all our countries of work, we partner with existing health systems to recruit community health workers, mostly women, to help us deliver our programs. The health workers develop strong ties within the communities, resulting in high acceptance and trust in our programming.
Mabel, a community health nurse in Ghana, was trained in primary eye care so that she could identify eye health issues in addition to her regular duties. She says that being able to screen people at their home allows her to reach many women and girls who probably wouldn’t have left the village to seek eye health care, due to household responsibilities.
Anyone who has had a case of pink eye knows that having red, inflamed and itchy eyes isn’t much fun. But in some parts of the world, an eye infection can be a much more serious problem. Trachoma is an infectious eye disease that leads to vision loss and blindness in millions of people across the globe. It spreads easily through contact with eye discharge from infected people on hands and clothing, and through flies. If left untreated, chronic infections turn the eyelid inwards, causing intense pain and scarring of the cornea, which can lead to irreversible blindness.
Trachoma is preventable, and clean water is key to curbing the spread. When communities have access to clean water, people can clean their hands, faces and clothing more often, which prevents it from spreading.
In countries like Zambia, we work with Water Affairs (the government department responsible for water) to drill, rehabilitate and repair boreholes near where people live, work and go to school, so that whole villages have access to clean water. We also provide training to local volunteers in these communities in WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) and borehole repair and maintenance to ensure the clean water continues to flow. In areas where trachoma is endemic, we also work with partners to distribute antibiotics, which both treats and prevents trachoma.
It's another way that we work to address one of the root causes of avoidable vision loss, but it also helps us tie into improved health outcomes overall. Accessible clean water helps prevent dozens of infectious diseases. It also improves quality of life for women and girls, who are often tasked with the job of fetching water, which can take up hours out of the day and prevent them from participating in school, work or other activities. Moreover, clean water means people can grow vegetable gardens, raise livestock and keep entire families, and communities, happier and healthier.
When we invest in sight, we invest in education, productivity and dignity. To eliminate avoidable vision loss, vision care needs to be recognized as a public health priority and integrated into national health strategies. Operation Eyesight’s global experience – from rehabilitating boreholes in Zambia to collaborating with partners on new policies in Canada – demonstrates that integrating eye health into primary care, addressing environmental determinants like access to clean water, and empowering community health workers leads to sustainable, measurable outcomes. Policymakers have a critical role to play in building resilient health systems that ensure equitable access to vision care for all.
Read more about our approach to Hospital-Based Community Eye Health.
On the day I arrived in Garbatulla, Kenya to begin my work with Operation Eyesight, there was no electricity, so I couldn’t let my colleagues back in Nairobi know that I had made it. The next day, the network came back online, but the incident sums up one of the challenges of working in this area – the difficulty in connecting with people, including many of our community health promoters who live in villages without network coverage.
Many people here in Isiolo County, in Kenya’s arid upper eastern region, are semi-nomadic. They move from place to place in search of pastures for their cows, sheep, goats and camels. Recently, flash floods cut off access to several villages. That’s why the new vision centre we’ve established in Garbatulla – in partnership with Garbatulla Sub-County Hospital – is so important. Now there’s a permanent eye clinic people can visit whenever the roads are open or when herders are back from distant pastures.
When I got here, I stayed at a local mission as I hadn’t found a permanent place to live.
A woman there named Hellen was very kind to me, making sure I got my tea each morning and that I had everything I needed to get settled. When I explained what had brought me to Garbatulla, she said she was struggling with her vision. I encouraged her to come to our clinic, where she was diagnosed with a cataract in her left eye. She was concerned that taking time off would disrupt her duties at the mission, but on the day of her operation she showed up and got it done.
I just had lunch with Hellen recently, and she is doing very well and has made a full recovery. I’m grateful to have helped someone who made me feel so welcome when I first got here
Samson Ngyongesa started working for Operation Eyesight in March 2025. He is the Program Coordinator supporting our Johnson & Johnson–funded Hospital–Based Community Eye Health Project in Garbatulla, Kenya. Samson previously worked for the Asante Africa Foundation, implementing a digital transformation strategy in remote parts of East Africa, and he has a background in economics.
Operation Eyesight is excited to participate in the Rotary International Convention in Calgary in June 2025. Be sure to stop by our booth (#355) in the House of Friendship to learn more about our work with Rotary Clubs around the world. You can also visit operationeyesight.com/Rotary2025 for more information.
Rotary Clubs: Longstanding champions of sight
In the mountainous Kathmandu Valley of northern Nepal, one in five people lives with vision loss or blindness, according to the Country Data from the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness. For many families in these isolated areas, the journey to access even basic eye care is long, difficult and often impossible.
But through an inspiring partnership between Rotary Clubs and Operation Eyesight, eye health services are now reaching communities once left behind – thanks to innovation, compassion and more than 60 years of partnership.
Vision on Wheels: A lifeline to rural communities
Powered by the Rotary Club of Simcoe, Vision on Wheels is a mobile eye unit that delivers vital health services directly to the doorsteps of rural families in Nepal. From vision screening and prescription eyeglasses to life-changing cataract surgeries and health education, the Mobile Vision Centre eliminates the barriers of geography and cost – restoring not only sight, but also dignity, hope and opportunity.
“Rotary International and local Rotary Clubs have long played a critical role in advancing global health initiatives, particularly eye health, and we are incredibly grateful for their longstanding support,” says Kashinath Bhoosnurmath, our President & CEO. “Together, we are now addressing the new and emerging causes of blindness and vision loss, renewing hope for families and entire communities.”
A legacy rooted in Rotary values
The connection between Rotary and Operation Eyesight runs deep. In fact, Operation Eyesight’s founder Art Jenkyns, seen in this archival photo (far left), was himself a Rotary member. Since the 1970s, Rotary Club Members have been instrumental in shaping the organization’s mission – contributing more than $1.4 M USD through more than 3,100 individual gifts, including $748,565 since 2020 alone.
Through these donations, Rotary members have supported Operation Eyesight in:
Their impact spans continents – from the bustling cities of India to remote regions of Kenya, Zambia and Ethiopia. “I believe Rotary’s confidence in Operation Eyesight is rooted in our shared commitment to fighting disease, providing clean water and sanitation, supporting education and promoting gender equality, particularly for mothers and children,” Kashinath adds. “The collaboration between our organizations showcases how Rotary’s local presence and Operation Eyesight’s global reach can have a lasting impact on underserved communities.”
A Centennial vision becomes reality
In 2005, to mark Rotary International’s 100th anniversary, the Rotary Club of Calgary Heritage Park, jointly with Rotary Zones 22, 5 and 6A, partnered with Operation Eyesight in an ambitious goal: to provide 100,000 free cataract surgeries across India, Nepal and Sri Lanka, through a “Partners in Vision” campaign.
A Rotary Club of Calgary Heritage Park Newsletter states that two major approvals were provided in December 2004, which covered 48,600 surgeries for a total cost of $1,065,000 USD. Operation Eyesight provided 50 per cent ($533,000 equivalent in USD) of the total funding matching every dollar raised by Rotary Clubs and Districts and other Rotary contributions. In June 2005, three other contributions were approved to fund an additional 16,400 surgeries for a total cost of $367,000 USD. To this amount, Operation Eyesight added 50 per cent (the equivalent of $184,000 USD) of the funding. Operation Eyesight also matched each Rotary dollar with professional expertise and local partnerships.
More than a surgical campaign, the initiative strengthened health systems by requiring participating hospitals to undergo training at the world-renowned L V Prasad Eye Institute – ensuring quality care and sustainability for years to come.
From boardrooms to boreholes
Rotary’s commitment goes beyond eye surgeries. Recognizing the link between clean water and eye health, especially in preventing trachoma – a devastating bacterial infection that causes irreversible blindness if left untreated – Rotary members have supported water and sanitation projects in Ethiopia, Kenya and Zambia that protect and uplift communities.
In 2008, the Ridgewood Rotary Club of New Jersey funded a pump house and handwashing station at Kishermoruak Primary School in Kenya, where a borehole had been drilled by Operation Eyesight. This project now provides clean water to more than 1,000 people, transforming health and education outcomes for the entire community.
“Access to clean water not only prevents the spread of trachoma and other diseases, but also means young girls are able to attend school, because they no longer have to haul water long distances for their families,” explains Caroline Nginda Ikumu, Operation Eyesight’s Country Director for Kenya and Ethiopia.
“Through the generosity and vision of donors and partners, together we are building healthier communities.”
Looking ahead: a shared vision for the future
Our shared vision for a healthier, more equitable world continues to inspire many Rotary members to join Operation Eyesight’s global community. Rotary Clubs have the opportunity to partner on a variety of projects that bring eye health solutions to communities that need them most:
WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) and Health System Strengthening – Integrates eye care with water, sanitation and hygiene, and works with governments to embed services into public health systems, particularly across sub-Saharan Africa.
Together with donors and dedicated partners, Operation Eyesight works with local governments and hospitals to create local eye health solutions that address the root causes of vision loss, including lack of access to fresh water, gender inequality, and inadequate education and access to health services. By leveraging the unique strengths of communities, we help ensure the impact of donors is felt long after a project is finished.
Throughout the years, Rotary Clubs like Calgary West, Grimsby, North Scarborough and Norfolk Sunrise have consistently stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Operation Eyesight. Together, our work has transformed lives in communities across South Asia and Africa.
Partner hospitals in Operation Eyesight’s countries of work play a key role in the sustainability of services after projects end. In India, facilities established and supported by Indian Rotary Clubs remain key partners in our work to end avoidable vision loss on the subcontinent. The Mela Mal Sood Rotary Eye Hospital in Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, pictured here at its inauguration in 1985, is one of more than two-dozen Rotary eye hospitals we work alongside in partnership and collaboration.
Through Rotary investments, eye health care is becoming a standard part of health systems in not only India but our other countries of work as well.
In addition to providing state-of-the-art affordable ophthalmic services, these facilities offer sight -restoring surgery, treatment and specialized care. Our Rotary partner hospitals in India often function as regional hubs for community outreach, supporting large-scale eye screenings and surgical camps in rural and semi-urban areas. It’s these local and international partnerships that make our work possible.
“Rotary’s confidence in Operation Eyesight is rooted in our shared commitment to fighting disease, providing clean water and education, supporting education and promoting gender equality,” says Bhoosnurmath. “Together, we are restoring sight, dignity and hope.”
One vision, countless lives transformed
The partnership between Rotary and Operation Eyesight continues to evolve. Through initiatives like the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB)-Rotary International Service Partnership, Rotary Clubs are now helping integrate eye care into broader health systems, train local health workers and promote sustainable change.
As Operation Eyesight continues its mission to prevent blindness and restore sight for good, Rotary Clubs remain vital to making this a reality. The tireless energy, strategic leadership and generous spirit of Rotary Club members continue to serve as a beacon of what’s possible when we unite for a greater purpose.
Thank you, Rotary, for helping us see a brighter future – one person, one community and one gift at a time – For All The World To See! Operation Eyesight is excited to participate in the Rotary International Convention in Calgary in June 2025. Be sure to stop by our booth (#355) in the House of Friendship to learn more about our work with Rotary Clubs around the world. You can also visit operationeyesight.com/Rotary2025 for more information
Horibala, from the village of Godashimla, Bangladesh, likes to keep busy. The 65-year-old finds joy and motivation in her favourite pastimes: sewing and travel.
But for years, she was unable to enjoy these activities as her eyes clouded over with cataracts.
“I couldn’t see at all,” she recalls. “Even when I closed one eye to see anything, it was blurry. I felt helpless.”
As her eyesight faded, she found herself depending on others for almost everything. Simple tasks like washing clothes, making a meal or even lighting the cooking stove were impossible.
Things turned around for Horibala after a visit from an optometrist from the Madarganj Vision Centre, run by our partners at Symbiosis International, who was doing a door-to-door survey. The optometrist referred Horibala to our partner institute, the Dr. K. Zaman BNSB Eye Hospital in the nearby city of Mymensingh, for bilateral cataract surgery.
Thanks to the generous support of donors like you, her sight was finally restored.
The medication she received at her follow-up appointments relieved the discomfort of watery eyes after surgery. Soon, she regained her ability to see.
“Now, I can do everything. There’s a big difference between being able to see and not seeing at all,” she says. “For the past year, I’ve been able to work, sew and even travel. My life feels normal again.”
Now overflowing with gratitude for her regained sight, Horibala acts as an advocate in her community, encouraging people to take care of their eyes.
“I tell everyone: if you have an eye problem, don’t wait. Go to this hospital and get treated immediately. Being able to see again is priceless!”
Donate today to help more people like Horibala see clearly again!
As a community health volunteer, 28-year-old Faizunnahar spends her days bringing primary eye health care to the doorsteps of families who live in her area. She enjoys her job, but she knows that not everyone in her community approves of her work. In rural Bangladesh, where Faizunnahar lives, job opportunities for women are often limited by societal norms, and those who step outside of traditional roles often face criticism.
Nevertheless, with her family’s support, the young volunteer persists. She loves making an impact in her community, and she is proud to contribute to the family finances through the monthly stipend she earns. She is determined to build a better life for herself, her family and their young son.
Working with our partner organization, Symbiosis International, Faizunnahar goes door to door in nearby communities doing preliminary eye screenings and referring those with vision problems to the nearby Madarganj Vision Centre.
As a child, Faizunnahar remembers her father struggling with an eye problem. To get it treated, he had to travel from their village of Ruknai to the capital city Dhaka, nearly 200 kilometres away. His difficulties in getting treatment for his vision problems stayed with her and would later inspire her to seek out work in the healthcare sector.
When she first heard about the opportunity to become a community health volunteer, Faizunnahar worked quickly to reach out to a contact and put together a resume. After writing an exam, she was excited to learn she got the job. Since then, she has worked in maternal, newborn and child health, as well as primary eye care, for which we provided the training. She is proud of her achievements and says her greatest joy comes from knowing that her work is helping transform lives.
This International Women’s Day, we celebrate the thousands of women like Faizunnahar who are breaking barriers to help us deliver essential eye health care at the community level. As community health workers/volunteers, they have an opportunity to become leaders in their communities and act as catalysts for positive health outcomes. This employment improves their ability to become active participants in their family’s socioeconomic stability.
You can help support our mission to achieve gender equality in eye health care by sharing this post with friends and family, by learning more about the issues or by making a donation.
