Adult cataract operation
Samina is a Lady Health Supervisor in Pakistan, women health workers are more often welcome in homes than men.
£20
Some 90% of blindness occurs in the developing world and two out of every three people who are blind are women.
Women in developing countries face greater barriers in accessing eye care due to cultural, geographical, gender role and cost-related factors. When women are denied equal access to health services, education and employment, they are less able to care for themselves and their family.
Your gift could help:
- Support the development of eye health services that tackle the causes of blindness affecting women, for example trachoma and cataract
- Place greater emphasis on the participation of girls with disabilities in the mainstream education system
- Support our programme of Lady Health Workers who are often welcomed in homes where a male doctor or nurse may be regarded with suspicion
- Provide rehabilitation to women so they can live independently and have improved life prospects
General funds:
Your gift purchase will go towards any of our general charitable work wherever the need is greatest.
See your gift in action
17-year-old Botla Devi, lives in a rural tribal village in Golugonda Mandal, Visakhapatnam in India. Blind from birth, both of her parents died when she was young and since then she’s been looked after by her grandmother.
A community health worker identified Botla in January 2007 and suggested that she should go to school, but both Botla and her grandmother refused. Her Grandmother would not let her out of the house yet alone the village due to her condition, gender and age.
The health worker continued visiting the family, giving support and counselling, explaining the options available. Botla’s future marriage prospects would be slim if she could not earn a living or look after herself.
The rehabilitation specialist taught Botla orientation and mobility, along with daily living skills. Her grandmother was also given training to help Botla to do her daily activities independently. Botla is now much happier visits neighbours on her own and participates much more in village life.
Botla wanted to live happily with her own income and she was given training so that she could create plates by leaf stitching. Botla and her grandmother now make around 300 plates each per day. These are then sold on to agents who then sell them on to restaurants and hotels. Botla hopes to be able to learn other new skills to earn more money.