Restoring Vision

According to the World Health Organization, 80% of visual impairment is either preventable or curable with treatment. Our partners CRUSADE have been conducting eye camps in our project villages, screening the elderly population for signs of cataract or uncorrected refractive errors.

Preliminary vision tests are performed in the villages by optometrists using vision charts, in conjunction with renowned Agarwal Eye Hospital, Chennai. Cataract removals are offered free of cost by the hospital and spectacles are provided at nominal cost by CRUSADE for patients with refractive errors. This is all made possible by the generous donations of Salt of the Earth supporters!

In the past year, our partners set up nine eye camps in the villages we support, screening 598 people. 71 patients underwent operations for the removal of cataracts and IOL implantation and 187 were provided with spectacles. A huge success for the charity!

Surgeries such as these happen in the UK on a daily basis, but in India many people living in rural poverty cannot afford to pay for the transportation to a clinic. If they do manage to save up and travel, the trip can take all day and appointments are unreliable and rarely take place. Documents are also difficult to obtain for those ostracized from society, so signing up as a patient can often be an impossible task.

Funding projects like these are changing lives. Help us continue our work and fund health projects such as these. Donate to Salt of the Earth.

Photographs by Adam Dickens @ https://www.changinglives.photo/adam-dickens