“I want to be a doctor so I can help people”

At just seven years old, Luyando’s future was uncertain. Without urgent treatment for the cataracts in both her eyes, she faced losing her sight for good.

You may remember Luyando from one of our previous appeals: we first met her when she was seven. Luyando’s mother, Martha, had noticed that her eldest daughter had vision loss when she was around five years old.

“When you sent Luyando to go and get something, she could come back and tell you there was nothing, yet the thing was just there. At preschool, she couldn’t paint properly. Instead of colouring in an object, she used to colour outside it.

“She can’t write properly. When she asks her friends to help, they mock her. Whenever she asks them to help her cross the road, they tell her that they are not responsible for her blindness.”

As part of Sightsavers’ inclusive eye health project in Zambia, Luyando and her younger sister Abigail were both diagnosed with congenital cataracts.

Early intervention is crucial for children who are born with cataracts. Otherwise, the links between a child’s brain and their eyes will never properly develop, which can lead to irreversible blindness.

Having experienced sight loss herself, Martha was anxious for Luyando and Abigail to have surgery so they could continue their education.

“It’s very important to have good sight. I failed to complete my studies because of my poor sight. If my children’s sight is regained, I will be very happy that they will complete their studies, and I will no longer worry even when they are alone.”

Many people living in remote areas of Zambia struggle to access basic eye care and face additional travel costs when attending hospital for treatment. With Zambia’s Ministry of Health and other partners, Sightsavers is helping to build community eye care services that reach even the most isolated villages, including providing eye tests and free pairs of glasses.

While children with cataracts still need to be referred to a hospital, adults with the condition can be treated at pop-up eye camps. Luyando and her sister travelled to a hospital in Lusaka for surgery. Their cataract operations were successful, enabling them to progress at school and regain their childhood independence.