Three Sightsavers nominees from Tanzania were honoured in the prestigious 2020 IAPB Vision Excellence Awards. Ophthalmic nurse Anande Swai and cataract surgeons Dr Sencodri Njau (pictured) and Dr Upendo Mwakabalile were rewarded for their work as part of the VISION 2020 initiative, spearheaded by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness. Read about their achievement
British independent jewellery brand Liv Thurlwell launched a range of Valentine’s bracelets featuring braille writing, with a donation made to Sightsavers for every bracelet sold. The handmade silver and gold bracelets are embossed with the word ‘Love’ in braille. Read about the range
The Gambia became the second country in sub-Saharan Africa to eliminate trachoma, ensuring millions of people will no longer have their sight threatened by the disease. Sightsavers has supported the government of The Gambia since 1986, when a survey found trachoma was the third leading cause of blindness in the country. How we helped to eliminate trachoma in The Gambia
More than 21,000 supporters of Sightsavers’ Equal World campaign from 119 countries signed an open letter calling on the leaders of the G7 to meet their commitments to inclusive education for children with disabilities, particularly girls, who are often disadvantaged on the grounds of gender as well as disability. Read about the letter
Gertrude Oforiwa Fefoame, Sightsavers’ advocacy adviser for social inclusion, received the World Blind Union Women’s Empowerment Award for her disability work. Presented at the World Blindness Summit, the award is given to blind or partially sighted women who have made an outstanding contribution to empower women. Read about Getty’s award
Sightsavers’ Rasak Adekoya was named as a One Young World ambassador for his work tackling the inequalities faced by people with disabilities. Rasak is the programme officer for Inclusion Works in Nigeria, which addresses the barriers that prevent millions of people with disabilities from finding mainstream jobs. Read about Rasak’s award
After years of advocacy work through Sightsavers’ Equal World campaign, Mali passed a new law that protects the rights of people with disabilities, so they can claim their rights and access employment, education and social benefits equally. About Mali’s disability rights law
Sightsavers staff, partners and supporters around the world celebrated World Sight Day on 14 October, to help raise awareness of the importance of access to good eye care. Country offices ran free eye screening services and organised awareness events, while our supporters and partners shared key messages on social media. Read our highlights
On 30 November, our generous supporters raised more than $90,000 during our Giving Tuesday appeal. Donations made on Giving Tuesday are matched and doubled so that individual gifts go twice as far, helping to protect and restore the sight of many more people. About the appeal
Sightsavers ended the year on a high by winning a prestigious Zero Project award for our accessibility audit pack. It includes guidance on how to carry out an audit of healthcare facilities, as well as recommendations on accessibility standards and examples of best practice. About the award
Dr Jalikatu Mustapha trained with Sightsavers between 2012 and 2016, becoming the only female ophthalmologist in the country.
Sightsavers’ education, research and policy teams will join the global education community at the UKFIET international education conference on 12-14 September in Oxford, UK.
Sightsavers began working in Bangladesh in 1973 to diagnose and treat people for cataracts, which is one of the most common eye conditions in the country.