Stories Archives | Sightsavers

Stories

A girl wearing glasses smiles.

Stories / Eye health /

Twelve-year-old Faryal used to feel dizzy when reading and struggled with her schoolwork. After receiving spectacles through a Sightsavers programme in Pakistan, she can now reach her full potential.

A boy wearing glasses smiling.

Stories / Eye health /

Thanks to a Sightsavers-supported eye health project in Nigeria, 12-year-old Sa’id received the treatment he needed for his blurred vision and itchy eyes.

A woman in traditional African dresswear walks along a street while balancing a tray of fruit on her head.

Stories / Fighting disease /

This is the story of five women from Touba, Senegal. Each of them had advanced trachoma, and they all received sight-saving operations as part of Senegal’s journey to eliminate the disease.

Chisomo and his mother Margaret stand in front of the wooden door of their house.

Stories / Eye health /

Since having cataract surgery, Margaret and her son Chisomo can now live independently.

Aasiya wearing a pair of glasses. She has a colourful scarf over her hair.

Stories / Eye health /

Many people with disabilities like Aasiya can’t access treatment for common eye conditions. Our refractive error programme is making eye care more inclusive and accessible in Pakistan.

Maryanne stands outside the UN building in New York during COSP-18.

Stories / Disability and inclusion /

Maryanne is excelling in her career after joining two Sightsavers programmes that helped to boost her employability skills.

Abubakarr stands in front of an ornate wooden door.

Stories / Disability and inclusion /

From begging on the streets of Sierra Leone to attending an inclusive school, Abubakarr is now realising his full potential and on the path to a bright future.

Stories / Disability and inclusion /

A photo round-up of our favourite moments from the third summit, where world leaders and activists united to improve the lives of people with disabilities.

IT Bridge Academy graduate Lyne stands with her arms crossed.

Stories / Disability and inclusion /

IT Bridge Academy graduate Lyne shares how she overcame barriers and disability discrimination to secure her dream job as a technical support engineer.

Caliha stands outside, with a tree behind her.

Stories / Disability and inclusion /

Cataracts stopped Caliha from working as a farmer, and without her family’s support, she struggled to access treatment. Caliha was able to have an operation and is now earning a living again.

Maria smiles after her successful operation for advanced trachoma. She's standing outside her home, which has a thatched roof.

Stories / Disability and inclusion /

Maria was able to return to work as a basket weaver and support her family after receiving treatment for advanced trachoma.

Lydia, an IT Bridge Academy graduate, smiles while standing in front of the Kenyan flag.

Stories / Disability and inclusion /

Lydia is a graduate of Sightsavers’ IT Bridge Academy and a disability rights activist. She works in the executive office of the president of Kenya.

Stories / Disability and inclusion /

Entrepreneur Michelle uses her experience of living with a disability to mentor other young women through Sightsavers’ economic empowerment project in Zimbabwe.

Mary smiling after her cataract operation.

Stories / Eye health /

After her cataract operation, Mary’s future is full of hope and possibilities. See how Sightsavers helped to transform her life.

Sadah, Eunice and Shihab.

Stories / Disability and inclusion /

Learn how our disability-inclusive projects are helping to create a better world for everyone by supporting people like Sadah, Eunice and Shihab.

Mzowele drinks water after taking medication for lymphatic filariasis.

Stories / Fighting disease /

As the world celebrates the 12 billionth treatment to protect people from lymphatic filariasis, we reflect on the journey to eliminate the disease in Africa.

Sabane sits under a tree after successful surgery to treat hydrocele, caused by lymphatic filariasis.

Stories / Fighting disease /

In Burkina Faso, the ARISE II programme is helping to transform the lives of thousands of people who are suffering from lymphatic filariasis.

Community volunteer Richard Lowoto with a group of patients and their families seated under a shady tree in Turkana, Kenya.

Stories / Eye health /

In the unforgiving desert of northern Kenya, getting treatment for painful, debilitating eye conditions such as trachoma can be an impossible task.

Nyangan and her granddaughters standing outside their home in Turkana, Kenya.

Stories / Eye health /

Sightsavers’ inclusive eye health programme is making sure older people and women such as Nyangan can get vital eye care.

Volunteer Moses measures a woman's height to see how much medication she needs to protect her from river blindness.

Stories / Fighting disease /

Sightsavers’ Khadijah Bello travelled across north-central Nigeria to see how our programmes are fast-tracking the elimination of neglected tropical diseases.

Angeshita smiles broadly.

Stories / Eye health /

When Angeshita regained her independence after her eye operation, so did her family. After caring for her for several years. they are now able to return to school and work, giving them all hope for the future.

An eye health doctor wearing a smart white shirt and sunglasses.

Stories / Eye health /

Learn about one man's mission to make a difference in his community in rural Malawi by training as an eye health specialist. Now, long queues at the eye clinic are a thing of the past.

A female community drug distributor measures a girl to see how much medication she needs to protect her from trachoma.

Stories / Fighting disease /

Now in its sixth year, the Accelerate programme has already delivered 53 million treatments to protect people from trachoma, and managed 91,000 advanced cases of the disease.

Dr Gladys walks with a female health worker, all wearing medical scrubs.

Stories / Eye health /

In Uganda, an inclusive eye health programme has helped to protect people’s vision and build a sustainable eye health system that can be accessed by everyone.

Zahra has her eyes examined.

Stories / Eye health /

Zahra is one of the many children now thriving thanks to a Sightsavers programme to screen school students for eye conditions and health problems.

A mother holds and looks at her young son as they stand in front of a brick wall.

Stories / Eye health /

Cataracts are the world’s leading cause of blindness. On World Sight Day, learn what Sightsavers is doing to protect the sight of children with cataracts in Zambia.

A close-up of a woman having her eyes checked for trachoma.

Stories / Eye health /

Benin has become the latest country to eliminate blinding trachoma. Here we meet people whose lives have been transformed, and those who helped to banish the disease.

Upendo talks to a patient during an eye test.

Stories / Eye health /

In Singida, an inclusive eye health programme has made eye care services more affordable, sustainable and equitable. Here, four people involved with the project share their stories.

A teacher in Nigeria outs her arm on a student's shoulders as they stand at the blackboard.

Stories / Education /

In Nigeria and Kenya, two innovative education projects are enabling children with disabilities to reach their potential.

Epidemiologist Michael Dejene, who is collecting data on trachoma, crouches next to a woman who is sorting produce.

Stories / Fighting disease /

Since 2012, Sightsavers has been using smartphones to collect high-quality data, so that countries can effectively map the disease and focus their elimination efforts.

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