Grey Mist Lifting

A Weekly Blog About Lives Changed Through Eye Care

Feb 17 2012

Family forms the foundation

by Lorie Gibson

As a Canadian who is in constant touch with people in India and Africa, I frequently deal with differences. My friends and family often ask about my experiences of working with people who speak different languages, or who use the same language as I do, but often mean very different things. It is a challenge that I enjoy, and it’s fun to talk about it.

As Director of Policy and Planning for International Programs, most of my international relationships are maintained by phone or email. How did we ever manage without the internet? I have been to India and Africa, and I can confirm how rich and diverse these places are. Yes, there are language and culture gaps between my world and theirs, but the bigger gap is one of prosperity. Those with limited means, the poor of the tropical world, struggle with life-and-death issues that I can only imagine.

How do they manage? It’s all about family – the way that mothers, brothers, uncles and aunts all look out for one another, from the youngest to the oldest. For many, their social safety net is each other.

Working together, even a family living on the side of the road can have a lot to look forward to.

Someone once asked me if the poor of India are sad. I can’t answer that question, but I can say that many of the people I’ve seen on the streets of Mumbai or in the slums of Hyderabad are industrious and highly motivated, regardless of their station in life.

Imagine being really poor, living under a tarp by the side of the road and then one day, making enough money to move into a hut with a solid roof – that’s progress! Family forms the foundation of their lives and these people often make great sacrifices for one another – they take nothing for granted.

Yes, there are differences between Canada and the developing world, but family is important everywhere. Here in Alberta (and also in the provinces of Saskatchewan and Ontario), we even have a statutory holiday called Family Day, which occurs every year on the third Monday of February. If you’re celebrating it this weekend, we hope you enjoy the extra time with your family.

At Operation Eyesight, we’ve come to see that family and community – social interconnectedness – is the key to addressing the deep issues behind visual impairment and other health problems. Right now in India, we are hiring people of limited means, and training them to work alongside their neighbours in the poor sections of urban and rural India. Using their own social networks, these Community Health Workers are conveying the message that blindness is not inevitable, so that people get the help they need. In this way, entire families, neighbourhoods and villages are helped to grow in health and prosperity.

To learn more about the places where this is happening, visit the Programs and Projects section of our website. We’ve updated several program descriptions and progress, such as this and this, to reflect our growing commitment to blindness prevention through community development. Have a look and let us know what you think by leaving a comment below this post!

Leave a comment
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Feb 10 2012

Our donors are the best!

by Pat Ferguson

Next Tuesday is Valentine’s Day, a time to express our appreciation for the important people in our lives. It might be unusual to express appreciation to a group of people, but that’s what I’d like to do. And that group of people would be you – our donors.

Seriously, here in our Calgary office we care a great deal for the people who support our work. Many of you have been dropping by the office or sending cheques for years. Some of you are like family.

Other times, we’ll get a big cheque in the mail or receive an encouraging phone call from far away, and the news will travel through the building like wildfire. Hearing about new donors is always a big thrill because that tells us our message is getting through.

African baby

With reliable eye care nearby, this baby can grow up without the fear of going blind. Photo by Ric Rowan.

Of course, none of Operation Eyesight’s work could happen without your generosity. And as a result, amazing things are happening. Big things – like new hospitals and blindness prevention programs and even entire health care systems. But also smaller things, like a man or woman leaving the eye clinic, squinting into the sunlight and saying something like: “Hey, it’s bright out here. I had forgotten how bright the sun could be.”

There are all kinds of good causes out there, all vying for your attention. Local causes have the best chance of raising money and profile because half the time, the cause is something that affects the donors personally.

Drawing attention to the plight of the blind of India and Africa can be a big challenge, I won’t deny it. But that’s another reason why we appreciate you so much. By supporting Operation Eyesight, you have extended your hearts and minds to people on the other side of the planet – people you care about, but will probably never meet. But I have met them, and here’s what I hear them say: “You have given me back my sight and now I can live again. Thank you, thank you!”

I may be the one who hears these words, but our patients understand that their eyesight was restored because someone far away sent a gift. When they say thank you, often with great emotion, they’re saying it to you.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

We’d love to hear from you. click the “Leave a comment” button below to comment on this post, or just to say hi.

Leave a comment
Tags: , , ,
Feb 03 2012

Remembering women in need

by Lynda Cherry
International dev week

Hello from India! As I write this, I’m here with our Operation Eyesight team in Hyderabad, where we’re meeting with eye care experts at the LV Prasad Eye Institute. You may know Hyderabad as the place where many Bollywood films are created. In fact, it was a wealthy filmmaker (LV Prasad) who supplied the land for the Institute, which is one of the best eye care research centres in the world.

Hyderabad is a huge city (compared with Calgary, where I live) with all the urban drama, extreme sights and sounds, and contrast between rich and poor that characterize most Indian cities. Leaving the city for the smaller centres can be a relief to the senses, but the contrasts and disparities are no less evident in the countryside.

While in India and other developing countries, I’m often struck by the vulnerability of women, especially those who must fend for themselves. I note that women and children are the focus of this year’s International Development Week (February 5-11). It’s a good time, therefore, to remember that nearly two-thirds of blind people worldwide are women and girls, and in many places, men have twice the access to eye care as women.* In countries with significant poverty, like the places where Operation Eyesight is at work, equal access to eye care could substantially reduce blindness and the problems associated with low vision.

Parvathy weaving

Operation Eyesight’s approach to development is based on the belief that all people, regardless of income, location or gender, should have access to information about eye health and to medical services when they need them. That, we believe, is the key to eliminating avoidable blindness.

I’m reminded of the story of Parvathy, a woman who benefited from the community outreach program of Garnett Memorial Hospital in southern India. Talk about vulnerable! Parvathy’s work as a weaver was her livelihood, but blindness from cataracts threatened her very life. You can read about her in the latest issue of SightLines newsletter on page one.

International Development Week is a time to learn more about life in developing countries and ways to contribute to positive change locally and globally. Speaking from here in Hyderabad, I see women struggling with poverty, but I also see a culture that is rich in ancient tradition as well as modern innovation. Take time next week, if you can, to learn about India and all it has to offer.

Also, stay tuned to Grey Mist Lifting in the weeks ahead for more stories about the ways that international development is changing the world, and how you can help.

* Source: Vision 2020: The Right to Sight

Leave a comment
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Jan 27 2012

Art Jenkyns’ simple message

by Pat Ferguson

This week marks the seventh anniversary of the passing of Art Jenkyns, the founder of Operation Eyesight. Those of you who know our history know that Art was the driving force behind the organization from the beginning. When he died in 2005, he left a tremendous legacy that continues to inspire our work to this day – and into the future, I have no doubt.

Art Jenkyns with a young patient in India.

I feel it’s important to speak about Art’s legacy every chance we get, and the anniversary of his passing is such an opportunity. He is, for us, a touchstone of what our work is about.

Art was inspired by the work of Dr. Ben Gullison, a Canadian physician working in India. Ben wanted to provide “the best for the poorest” – an idea that continues to energize Operation Eyesight. It certainly energized Art.

Back in 1963, when Ben asked if anyone would help him raise money to restore sight to India’s blind, Art and his friends in Calgary eagerly stepped forward. Operation Eyesight was created, and over the years many people have come and gone. But it was Art who continued stepping forward, across Canada and then across the globe with a message of healing for the blind.

It was a simple yet powerful message that boiled down to this: “We have the means and responsibility to help these people. We know there is a simple procedure to correct cataract blindness and we have an obligation as human beings to help our fellow man. We need to do this!”

Art was a businessman, not an eye doctor, yet he spoke accurately about the conditions that cause blindness and the means to cure or prevent it. But his gift was his passion – he was deeply moved by the plight of people already struggling with poverty who would then become blind. He was able to share his passion, and he was eager to speak to any person or group willing to hear him.

As a result, millions of dollars have come from generous donors over the years, and millions of people (yes, millions) have received treatment who would not have otherwise. It is a remarkable accomplishment, and so much of the credit goes to Art and his simple message.

Today, millions more need the same kind of help. However, these people are especially hard to reach; either due to geography or due to understanding. In the spirit of Art Jenkyns, Operation Eyesight continues to step forward in our efforts to reach everyone in danger of blindness and low vision. If this inspires you, please act on it without delay.

Art says thanks.

Want to read more about Operation Eyesight’s history? Visit our website.

Leave a comment
Tags: , , , , ,
Jan 20 2012

A smile worth seeing

by Lynne Dulaney

Imagine losing your sight. It’s a highly emotional experience, even if the blindness is not trauma-related. With your vision gradually declining due to cataracts or other eye conditions, you’d feel sorrow, uncertainty and anxiety about the future. You’d naturally be apprehensive about eye surgery, yet eager for the possibility to be able to see again.

Now you can join one woman as she follows this same emotional journey. Watch the following video photo essay to see a Kenyan grandmother as she travels from the security of her family farm to a local hospital for cataract surgery.

Was her surgery a success? Check out Jerita’s joyous smile as she is reunited with her family and judge for yourself!

Leave a comment
Tags: , , , , ,
Jan 13 2012

Community outreach enriches life in an Indian slum

by Brian Foster

Kevin Davidson is a member of Operation Eyesight UK’s board of trustees and the chief executive officer of Maxwell Drummond, an international executive search firm headquartered in London, England. He visited our Rasoolpura Urban Slum Project during a December business trip to India. We asked him to share his impressions of the visit.

Rasoolpura is a remarkable initiative. After just five years in operation, the project has enabled such positive change in the community. One of the first things I noticed during my visit was the palpable sense of pride exhibited by the residents. It is astonishing, especially given the negative images that I, and probably many other Westerners, associate with the word “slum.”

Kevin Davidson at vision centre

Kevin Davidson (r) visits with Mabbula Liviza, a vision technician in the Rasoolpura slum.

After venturing into Rasoolpura with our team, I realized very quickly that Operation Eyesight’s activities are a catalyst for broader economic and community development. Rather than purely concentrating on eyesight issues, we are embedded in broader community initiatives, which helps us track the people who need support when it comes to preventing and treating avoidable blindness.

One of the earliest and most important activities Operation Eyesight undertook in Rasoolpura was a complete census and mapping of area residents. Every dwelling was visited and instances of eye issues and blindness were noted, along with other health conditions. As a result, targeted work that addressed the issues facing residents could begin. Today, avoidable blindness is almost eradicated in Rasoolpura!

In addition, by partnering with other non-governmental organizations and government agencies, we help bring complementary services, skills and education to the community’s residents.

For example, on our way to visit the testing centres where our vision technicians work, we passed a young mothers’ nutrition class being conducted on a street corner. In another area of the community, babies were being weighed, which helps Operation Eyesight teams monitor possible pockets of nutrition or vitamin deficiency. We also visited cooking and sewing classes. While Operation Eyesight doesn’t provide these services directly, we refer residents to other organizations that do.

As we toured Rasoolpura, what became very clear to me is what makes Operation Eyesight different from other organizations: our community outreach. It’s how our staff reach out to find health issues and then connect people with organizations who can help (if it’s not us). Our community health workers, who themselves live in Rasoolpura, are an integral part of the community.

My lasting impression is that the project and our staff members are empowering the community through education and organization to better look after and develop itself from within.

It’s not about outsiders coming in and throwing around money and expertise. It really is about sustainable development – enabling members of the Rasoolpura community to take care of their own, now and in the future.

And it’s all made possible by you, our donors and supporters. Thank you!

Leave a comment
Tags: , , ,
Jan 06 2012

Eyes wide open in 2012

by Pat Ferguson

Have you ever heard the term “blind charity?” If you’re guessing that’s what Operation Eyesight is about, you’d be mistaken. Of course, our work deals with blindness prevention and treatment, but we don’t expect our donors to give blindly, which is what the term refers to. Our wish is that our donors are fully aware of what they are supporting, and more fully engaged.

Let me explain. Charity, when applied to international issues, often refers to aid or relief in times of crisis. It suggests short-term solutions and limited relationships between the benefactors and the beneficiaries.

Pat Ferguson speaks to supporters

Pat Ferguson, president and CEO of Operation Eyesight, spoke to supporters on several occasions in 2011. (Photo by Emma Ko)

Operation Eyesight, on the other hand, has always been a true partnership with eye care professionals in the developing world, working on behalf of people threatened by blindness and low vision. In other words, mutual respect and expertise travels in both directions.

Our partners in India and Africa have identified specific approaches and projects that will put in place an eye care system able to prevent as well as treat blindness for years to come and finally achieve our objective of eliminating unnecessary blindness. We understand this as going “narrower and deeper,” an approach that you can read about in the winter issue of SightLines newsletter (now on our website).

Are these activities going according to plan? Well, in 2012 we’ll be working with expert researchers to evaluate our programs. We want to be sure that our achievements are real, not just perceived, and we’ll want to share those results.

An objective evaluation will help us strengthen our strategy where necessary and confirm our donors’ trust in us to use their money wisely. You’ll also see Operation Eyesight speaking more boldly to the international development community about the powerful impact of community-based eye care.

As president of Operation Eyesight, I have the pleasure of speaking to our donors in many ways. Among my favourites are the informal “donor teas” that we host across the country. Some of you have been with us for many years, and have seen our growing determination to get at the root causes of blindness.

When I’ve described our investment in community programs, infrastructure and primary care, I expected to hear comments like, “Why don’t you just stick with eye surgeries?” Instead, I’ve heard people (including long-term donors) say things like, “What you are saying makes sense. This is the best initiative I’ve ever heard of.” To hear this endorsement was gratifying, and deeply inspirational.

I envision an Operation Eyesight with donors who think about more than individual eye surgeries, and instead look at the big picture. I believe that the eye care programs we support are working over there, and that the ideas behind those programs are resonating over here.

Blindness and poverty is a terrible combination, and we will always deal with individual cases through direct intervention. But the bigger vision is a world where the most common eye problems never have to happen (or if they do, they will never again lead to despair or death). Instead of one surgery or treatment at a time, how about one community at a time – an entire village or district free of avoidable blindness?

I hope you’ll support Operation Eyesight even more strongly in 2012 – with your eyes wide open. Thanks for everything!

Read the blog posts below or our recent newsletters to learn more about our 2011 achievements … all made possible by you, our supporters!

Leave a comment
Tags: , , , ,
Dec 30 2011

We appreciate your eyes on our blog

by Pat Ferguson

This is just a note to say thank you for reading Grey Mist Lifting this past year. We’ve enjoyed writing it and we hope you’ve enjoyed reading each post. There’s a lot more where that came from – great stories and terrific photos describing people whose lives have been changed. So stay with us and keep reading.

To all our supporters, we say thanks, and we look forward to working with you in 2012. Truly, the best is yet to come!

Happy New Year

Leave a comment
Tags: , ,
Dec 16 2011

Picturing a brighter future

by Brian Foster

Today I’d like to tell you about a couple of photographs that mean a lot to me – and why.

I currently serve Operation Eyesight as vice-president of Advancement, but back in 2002, I was volunteering on the Board of Directors. In that year I made my first visit to Africa and India to learn what was happening, and I took a lot of photographs. Two shots really stand out.

Children everywhere enjoy making new friends. (Photo by Brian Foster)

One photo shows me with a group of children from Zambia. Whenever I see this one, it reminds me of the contrasts between me and these kids (age, height, colour, nationality, etc.) but also of the things we share in common. When it gets right down to it, we’re not so different. These kids have tremendous energy, enthusiasm and initiative, and their hopes for the future are basically the same as mine.

Although I may never see them again, I am confident that these kids turned into fine young adults. My role in their lives, as a stranger who came to visit, was momentary. But my interest in their lives, and in their country, has only strengthened over the years. Through my colleagues in Zambia I know for a fact that the work of Operation Eyesight is bringing lasting improvements. Yes, I made a contribution to their lives, but meeting them changed my life too.

The same goes for a group of kids from a slum in Mumbai, India. I love this photograph – I have it displayed on the wall of my office.

Living in a slum doesn’t stop these children from having hope for the future. (Photo by Brian Foster)

I was walking down a narrow street with a stream of waste water running down the middle, when three girls appeared on the opposite side. Their faces were beaming, so I reached around to get the camera out of my bag. When I turned back around, three kids had turned into 10, as if out of thin air. The group happily posed for the camera and then they scattered, back through the warren of alleyways and tiny dwellings.

What impressed me was their health and happiness. Aren’t slum people supposed to be wretched? That puzzled me at the time, but now it makes sense – for kids like these, the slum is only their present, it’s not their future. And they know it.

Photographs like these help me remember that when people work together, amazing things can happen. But you don’t have to travel to India or Africa to be a force for change in their lives. Your concern and care can take many forms, such as financial gifts. And through Operation Eyesight they are having the intended effect, which is to build communities that are free of the threat of blindness and low vision.

If you would like to help children like these see a brighter future, the opportunity to make a gift in 2011 is drawing to a close. In order to receive a 2011 tax receipt, please make your donation before December 31 using the convenience of online giving.

Leave a comment
Tags: , , , , , , , ,