Clean Water and Avoidable Blindness

Access to clean water is an important part of ending serious eye infections like trachoma, the world’s leading cause of preventable blindness. Trachoma causes the eyelid to turn inward so that the eyelashes rub the eyeball. This results in intense pain, scarring of the cornea and ultimately, irreversible blindness. Although trachoma can be treated with medicine and, in more severe cases, surgery, the most effective way of reducing rates of this painful infection is to address one of the root causes, which is lack of adequate sanitation. With access to clean water, people can wash their hands, faces, clothing and homes and prevent the spread of trachoma. This improved sanitation also aids in the reduction of other serious illnesses such as diarrheal disease, upper-respiratory infections and other communicable diseases like COVID-19.

Drilling and Rehabilitating Boreholes

Operation Eyesight follows the World Health Organization-endorsed SAFE strategy for eliminating trachoma in areas of Kenya and Zambia. SAFE is a comprehensive treatment and prevention program that includes:

• Surgery to treat trichiasis (the painful late stage of the disease)
• Antibiotics to eliminate infection
• Face washing and hygiene education
• Environmental improvement including wells and latrines

Properly implemented, the SAFE strategy permanently eliminates trachoma. One of the key factors for achieving this is drilling or rehabilitating boreholes. In recent years, we’ve shifted our focus from drilling new boreholes to rehabilitating existing, dysfunctional boreholes. The cost-savings employed by this method allow us to reach many more communities.

When a borehole is drilled or rehabilitated, we establish local Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) committees. These committees are trained on how to maintain the borehole and ensure its longevity. Properly maintained boreholes can provide clean water for decades. The WASH committees also provide community health education sessions to help people improve their sanitation habits. They incorporate messages on facial cleanliness and environmental improvements such as the proper building of latrines. 

The Ripple Effect of Clean Water

Clean water does so much more than prevent blindness. Families are able to grow more nutritious food and easily water their livestock when water is easily accessible. This leads to a reduced prevalence of illnesses resulting from poor nutrition. It also gives women and girls more opportunities. The task of hauling fresh water for long distances most commonly falls to women and girls. Depending on the area, the journey can also be dangerous, and the water from unprotected sources may not be safe. When clean water is easily accessible, women and girls have time to go to school, earn a living independently, and be actively involved in their families and communities.

Communities with a clean water source also become hubs of local trade and provide increased economic opportunities. New schools are often built near boreholes because of their central location and easy access to water. Existing schools are expanded on to accommodate for the increase in attendance resulting from more girls being able to participate in school now that they don’t have to walk far distances to fetch water. Read this story about how a borehole increased the attendance at Mweela School by 274 students.

This World Water Day, you can help bring the positive ripple effects of clean water to a community in need. Please donate today.

The post The value of clean water – World Water Day 2021 appeared first on Operation Eyesight.

Evalina Kalata is a child of displacement.

Before she was born, Evalina’s parents, along with 57,000 other poor tribespeople who lived along the banks of Zambia’s Zambezi River, were forced out of their homes to allow for construction of the gigantic Kariba Dam.

Evalina grew up in a re-settled and remote village called Nang’amba, where life was hard and water was scarce. As a result of poor sanitation, blindness from the agonizing eye disease known as trachoma was common.

Evalina’s mother and grandparents tell stories of their late relatives who suffered from irreversible blindness due to trachoma. In those days, there were no eye health programs to help the tribespeople understand what was happening to their eyes; they thought they were bewitched and didn’t know to seek medical help.

Today Evalina is 27 years old, and a parent of three children herself. Fortunately, she is aware of trachoma and understands the importance of eye health, thanks to educational sessions that are now held in the village. When two of her children contracted trachoma a year ago, she and her husband knew to seek help for them at the local health clinic. The children were given medicine to treat the infection, and they are both doing well today.

In 2013, Operation Eyesight drilled a borehole in Nang’amba as part of the SAFE strategy to improve environmental hygiene and help prevent the spread of trachoma. The community now has clean, safe water for drinking and washing.

The village has also implemented a community-led sanitation program. Community members are encouraged to wash their hands and faces as frequently as possible. In addition, families like Evalina’s have constructed latrine pits to improve sanitation.

Community-led sanitation along with the provision of the borehole has improved the livelihood of the tribespeople, and they are proud of the work they have done to prevent avoidable blindness.

“There will be no more blindness for my family or for my children,” explains Evalina. “I make sure that my children wash their faces as many times as possible so they will not suffer from this disabling disease.”

Evalina and the entire village are grateful for the borehole that has brought such joy to the community.

“We thank Operation Eyesight and its donors for remembering us,” says Evalina. “May the good Lord bless them.”

To learn more about our trachoma projects in Zambia click here.

The post Community establishes hygienic roots appeared first on Operation Eyesight.