Beneficiaries

Eight year old Hare and his four year old sister Mina used to not know what their parents looked like as they were both born with cataract blindness.

Living in the remote town of Khadga Bhanjyang in the Nuwakot District of Nepal, a seven hour drive from the capital, Kathmandu, the family were not able to seek treatment.

It is amazing that the children had survived for so long. Their isolated town of Khadga Bhanjyang, in the foothills of the Himalayas, is surrounded by steep drops and in a developing country, such as Nepal, up to 60% of children who become blind are likely to die within one year.

Hare and his sister were also living in extreme poverty and suffering from malnutrition and chest infections.

Their father was partially blind and their older sister, who used to work to provide for the family, had married and left home. As a result, their mother was forced to work and leave the children at home to look after themselves. Their future looked grim.

Fortunately, through The Fred Hollows Foundation, Hare, Mina and their parents were able to be transported to Tilganga Eye Centre in Kathmandu. Tilganga was established in 1994 and provides eye care services to the poorest and most remote populations of Nepal.

It was a long drive from the family's small town to the capital. Neither of the children had ever been in a car and although it was exciting for them they got terribly car sick.

The operations were performed by Dr Govinda Paudyal, the Paediatric Ophthalmologist at Tilganga, and to everyone's delight both operations were successful.

Children's cataract surgery is often difficult and can be unsuccessful, as a child who is over seven years of age and who has been blind all of their life, often won't respond to the surgery because their brain's ability to recognise visual stimuli has never been exercised.

Fortunately though, Hare and Mina responded positively to their operations and now both of them can see the faces of their parents! They also now have a more promising future as they can go to school, instead of staying home alone, and their mother can now also work without fearing the wellbeing of her children.

> Download Hare and Mina's story  (41kb)

Yasodha Rokka is a 62 yr old widowed housewife living in Kausaltar, Kathmandu. Her husband died of Rabies. She lives in a house made of local brick and mud with her two sons and two daughters, who are all married. All of her children, except one daughter, farm maize and seasonal vegetables for a living.

Yasodha had a mature cataract in her right eye for a year until one of her neighbours advised her to go to Tilganga Eye Centre to have her eyes checked. Yasodha was worried about the cost, but the neighbour had once heard that Tilganga might perform surgery free of charge if patients could not afford to pay.

Dr. Govinda Paudyal operated on Yasodha's cataract in June 2006. Due to Yasodha's socioeconomic situation, she did not have to pay for surgery at Tilganga. The centre operates on a cross-subsidisation basis where the fee charged to a patient is based on their ability to pay.

Before having her sight restored at Tilganga, Yasodha needed a friend to stay with her to help with house and farming work. Her sons and daughters constantly worried about her. Now, Yasodha is able to work on her own with confidence and dignity. She says, "I am very happy after being able to see again and am so thankful to Tilganga and Dr Govinda Paudyl".

The Fred Hollows Foundation's contribution to blindness treatment and prevention in Nepal is a collaborative effort with Tilganga Eye Centre.

> Download Yasodha Rokka's story  (41kb)