When Fassikaw was in first grade, he began to have trouble seeing objects far away. Reading books and the blackboard became difficult. Sitting in the middle or back of the classroom, he often had to borrow his classmates’ exercise books to copy notes. 

At home, reading took him a long time. His eyes often watered, and his grades began to drop. More than his grades, his parents worried about his worsening vision and the way it was affecting his mood and sleep. Fassikaw even spoke about leaving school. 

Around this time, his family learned about our School Eye Health Program run in partnership with Partners in Education Ethiopia. The program offers free diagnosis and eyeglasses to students in need. 

After hearing this, his family went to the hospital and Fassikaw’s eyes were checked. At the hospital, tests revealed that Fassikaw’s vision required strong corrective lenses: +15.00 for his left eye and +16.00 for his right. Thanks to our partners and generous donors, he received the eyeglasses at no cost. 

Today, Fassikaw can read easily from anywhere in the classroom. At home, he reads without headaches or watery eyes. His grades have improved, and his class ranking has risen from 27^th to 21^st, with steady progress. 

His father says their son is now happy and confident, and the family can sleep without worry. “With God’s help, we hope you will never have to worry about anything,” he says with gratitude. 

Did you know?
Bringing eye health care to students is an investment in their education and their future. Globally, 450 million children have an eye condition that requires treatment; of these, 448 million have refractive errors that only require eye exams and eyeglasses (Source: IAPB Vision Atlas – Child Eye Health). The cost of eyeglasses in our countries of work is approximately C$20. 

By providing eyeglasses through school-based eye health programs, we can transform the lives of children like Fassikaw, helping them see clearly, succeed in school and embrace a brighter future. Give the Gift of Sight today.  

Our Work in Ethiopia 
Since beginning our work in Ethiopia in 2018, we’ve made significant strides toward preventing avoidable vision loss. In 2024, our programs reached more than 33,424 people through eye health screenings, treatment, training and community outreach. From surveying over 14,000 residents in Debre Work to training frontline workers and teachers, screening students and providing eyeglasses, we are building lasting capacity for quality eye care. Read more about our work in Ethiopia in our 2024 Annual Report. Download it here. 

The post Eyeglasses bring hope and better grades to Fassikaw   appeared first on Operation Eyesight.

“It’s an honour to share my passion for teaching with the girls, though there was a time when I couldn’t do that – it broke my heart.”

For six long months, Dinah experienced debilitating headaches that hindered her from reading to the girls.

Luckily, Dinah’s home was visited by a community health worker who referred her to the Iten County Referral Hospital where she got a diagnosis for presbyopia. Thanks to our partnership with the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation, she was provided with a complimentary pair of reading glasses. The foundation has provided more than 5,000 eyeglasses to our vision centres in Kenya since 2020.

“I’ll admit I was reluctant to start reading again,” Dinah says. “Once I did, I realized I had nothing to worry about – my headaches were gone!”

Since her headaches have dissipated, Dinah has committed two hours every day to reading to her grandkids. She marvels at their success.

“At first, the girls would have me read their schoolbooks to them,” she says. “Now they’ve started reading to me – it’s really lovely how these things come full circle.”

Donate today to help provide prescription eyeglasses for more people like Dinah.

With files from Caroline Ikumu.

The post No headaches thanks to new reading glasses appeared first on Operation Eyesight.

Clara Dunbavin, an 11-year-old girl from Lincolnshire, England, spent her Christmas holidays reading, so children living in Africa and India could have the means to read, too. For a school project, she organized a sponsored read to raise funds for Operation Eyesight.

Clara and her mother, Louise, were shocked when they first heard about avoidable blindness. “Not often does something touch me,” says Louise. “But I was horrified to learn that people, especially kids, are losing their eyesight unnecessarily.”

The plight of those living with avoidable blindness hit home for Clara. “I wanted to give to an eyesight charity because I have bad eyesight myself,” she explains.

Clara has to wear eyeglasses to correct her short-sightedness. Her father also struggles with poor eyesight; he developed glaucoma as an adult, and in recent years he has had two operations for a detached retina.

Clara funnelled her passion and creativity into a letter that compelled her family and friends to sponsor her reading marathon. She read an incredible 10 books and raised £30.

Clara says she appreciates how important education is. As a bookworm, she knows it’s easy to take reading for granted. Her father prefers talking books and her mother wears reading glasses, but she knows that these options are not always available to children in India and Africa.

But because of Clara’s generosity, other children can now see to go to school and read their favourite stories, too.

“Operation Eyesight does wonderful work,” says Louise. “It’s a good charity to be able to donate to.”

Clara, thank you for donating not just your sponsorship money, but also your free time, to Operation Eyesight! With your contribution, you have reached across the world to tell other children that their lives matter. What an incredible gift!

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