About NGO:
Sightsavers is a global development organisation working to eliminate avoidable blindness and to ensure that people who are irreversibly blind receive the support they need to lead lives of independence and dignity.
Sightsavers has been working in India since 1966 on eye health and has reached out to over 35 million people.
Today, we partner over 100 organisations across 17 states in India bringing eye healthcare, educational support, counseling, training and leadership development to visually impaired people in some of the least served areas of the country.
We work in a sustainable way to promote lasting change - by strengthening existing health systems, seeking to advocate with and influence governments and by demonstrating best practises. We network with like-minded organisations to enable exchange of ideas and to advocate for the rights of the disabled.
Sightsavers believes in promoting indigenous technologies in eye healthcare enabling a wider reach of health services in India. For more information log on to www.sightsaversindia.in

Fund Usage:

Sightsavers is committed towards eliminating avoidable blindness and promote equality of opportunity for disabled people. Eye Care/ Health (ECH) are one of core areas of our programmatic effort on ground, through which we reach out to the disabled people, the blind and the low vision, from rural and urban setup.

The programme provides quality eye care services for the problems caused due to cataract and refractive error that accounts to 80% of the cause, leading to blindness; which is easily curable and at cheaper costs.

ECH is normally not observed as a priority in a country like India, as it does not have an immediate impact on our lives, while if not prevented/ cured on time, can lead to low vision or blindness, thus affecting the productivity of individuals. This marathon, we target at raising INR 1,000,000 for screening of 5000 people, 100 cataract surgeries, 100 Pediatric surgeries and 1250 people to be dispensed with spectacles.

Blindness and visual impairment are inextricably linked with poverty; problems like cataract and refractive error, if left untreated can directly affect one's productivity. Thus, your support will aim at providing quality eye care and referral services, thereby preventing avoidable blindness.

Impact:
One of the youngest son lads of the Singhs, 9 month-old, Kuldeep had been blind from birth with cataract and wasn't the only member of the family to be found with sight problems. Four other children including Kuldeep's older sister were also severely visually impaired. "We took them to see the traditional healer, but he couldn't help us," said Hari Singh, Kuldeep"s grandfather. "We had no choice but to accept the situation."
They were invited to a special eye camp where for assessment. All of the Singh children were identified as having cataract in both eyes. The older ones were taken to a Sightsavers' supported hospital in the nearby city, and went through a successful surgery. The medical staff there wanted to wait until Kuldeep was a few months older before they operated on him.
Happily, as you can see, Kuldeep's cataract operation went well.
After surgery he shows signs that he can see, such as looking at the doctor's torch. "We are all celebrating," says Kuldeep's mother. "Five members of our family have new sight. We'd like Kuldeep to be a doctor when he grows up so that he can help restore vision and bring happiness to others."


Page Url :
http://www.unitedwaymumbai.org/ngo24_rcsb.htm

Founded Year: 1970

Cause category: Health

Our Supporters

• Sneha