The mother of six, who also has several grandkids, lost her husband several years ago, leaving her to support her burgeoning family on her own. She continued farming corn for income, but low grain prices meant she was barely able to sustain her family. 

When the government started recruiting health volunteers in her village, Salina’s name was put forward because of her involvement in community work. She was excited about the prospect, but worried when some community members pointed out her lack of a formal education.  

Eventually, she got the position and started training with Operation Eyesight as a community health volunteer. Now she does door-to-door eye health screenings throughout her region in Elgeyo Marakwet County.  

The stipend she receives from Operation Eyesight helps her feed her family and keep her kids in school. She looks forward to sending her daughter to college soon. 

At 56, Salina admits the job is not an easy one – she puts in long hours and walks long distances to complete her work. But she adds that her passion for helping people in the community keeps her going.  

She says that she was surprised one morning when a local cattle herder showed up on her doorstep at 6 a.m. He told her he was having trouble seeing, but couldn’t get to the hospital to have his eyes checked. She took a look and diagnosed him with cataracts, and promptly got him in for free treatment at a nearby Operation Eyesight surgical camp. She says whenever she sees the young man around town, he thanks her for her help. 

Salina says she’s also excited about everything she’s learning about health care.  

“The biggest benefit,” she explains, “is that I have been equipped with knowledge on how to take care of my health and that of my family.” 

She adds that despite the initial naysaying, her work has helped raise her profile as a trusted community member and that people now come to her to discuss issues the village is facing.  

Every year, Operation Eyesight trains hundreds of women as health workers and leaders in their own communities. This year on Mother’s Day, help moms like Salina support their families by making a donation or purchasing an eCard for your own mother, wife or another amazing woman in your life. 

The post Health volunteer says hard work pays off with gratitude from the community appeared first on Operation Eyesight.

April seventh to the 14^th is National Volunteer Week in Canada. To celebrate, we sat down with Blaire, Volunteer Program Coordinator, to ask her what makes our volunteers special.

What’s the best part about working with the volunteers?

“Honestly, it’s how enthusiastic the volunteers are to learn! They want to learn and help, and each of them has their own strengths that they bring to their role. Working with them has taught me to be more flexible and to understand that everyone has a different learning style. We teach each other when we work together!”

What do the volunteers bring to Operation Eyesight?

“They’re such a huge part of what we do! They’re the ones who make it possible to thank all our donors. They’re the ones writing all the thank you cards, making thank you phone calls to recent donors, they fold tax receipts and keep our office administration running. So much of our work is made possible by the work they do!”

What’s something unique about our volunteers?

“They’re from all walks of life – we have volunteers who are in high school, university, some of them are new moms, some are on disability, some of them are between jobs, seniors and so on. There is so much diversity among our volunteers, which means we get different perspectives and talents to draw from all the time. And they’re from all over the world, too!

A pleasant surprise is that some of our volunteers have found their own replacements when they leave, mostly for a job. They believe in the work they’re doing, and even though they have to move on to a different stage in their lives, they’ll refer a friend or family member to Operation Eyesight because they want to continue to be involved in some way and enjoyed their experience working on our team.”

What would you like to thank our volunteers for?

“For bringing joy to my work every day! They bring such good energy into the office when they come for their shifts. Even on Monday mornings when I’m still getting over the weekend, they come in cheerfully and brighten my day. They’re always an inspiration! And something I want them to know is that they are employees – they go through the same onboarding, they sign all the same paper work. They may be unpaid in money, but they’re paid in six figures – S-M-I-L-E-S. Not just our smiles here in the office, but in the bright-eyed smiles of the people whose lives are being changed with the gift of sight.”

Our volunteers do so much, and we can’t thank them enough. Happy National Volunteer Week to all volunteers out there – Thank you so much for all that you do!

The post Happy National Volunteer Week! appeared first on Operation Eyesight.

In 2015, volunteers personally called 1,700 donors and hand-wrote over 1,500 “thank you” cards! Because of them, we’re able to reach out to you, our donors, more often and manage administrative tasks more effectively than would otherwise be possible. This means that ultimately we’re able to bring in more dollars for our cause and give the gift of sight to more people in need.

A heartfelt thank you, volunteers, for donating your time and talent to Operation Eyesight. Together, we’re doing great things – for all the world to see!

If you’d like to learn more about volunteer opportunities in Calgary, contact Blaire at macnicolb@operationeyesight.com.

The post Many hands make light work: Thank you volunteers! appeared first on Operation Eyesight.

This week is National Volunteer Week – a time to recognize, celebrate and thank Canadian volunteers. Operation Eyesight is fortunate to have a large group of wonderful volunteers who help in our head office in Calgary – many of them on a weekly basis. One of our dedicated weekly volunteers is Mona Soyland.

Mona first heard about Operation Eyesight at a social gathering. No longer able to work full time due to a medical condition, she was hoping to find an organization to volunteer with on a casual basis – and Operation Eyesight was just the place she was looking for!

“Volunteering is a way for me to contribute to society while I’m not working,” she says. “And Operation Eyesight is a great place to volunteer. Everyone’s welcoming and they make me feel like I’m part of the family.”

Since she started volunteering in January 2014, Mona has come to understand, believe and promote Operation Eyesight’s mission to eliminate avoidable blindness. Her volunteer support includes making donor thank you calls, updating the database, conducting research, working in booths at festivals, and even taking photos and editing videos.

While she has a knack for the more creative tasks, she enjoys helping in any way needed. “I like to look for the challenge and try new things,” she says. “If I want to learn, the staff are always there to answer my questions.”

Mona is a virtuoso when it comes to donor thank you calls. Her kindness and enthusiasm is enough to brighten anyone’s day.

“I’m always interested in why people donate to Operation Eyesight,” she explains. “I love hearing their stories, and I can usually tell on the phone if someone is going to be talkative or not.”

Donors often tell Mona that they appreciate Operation Eyesight’s careful use of donation money. “Operation Eyesight is a great organization that uses its funds wisely,” confirms Mona.

Mona says she would definitely recommend volunteering at Operation Eyesight to others. “It’s a great opportunity for those looking to challenge themselves,” she explains. “You can explore your limits from the office, or you can get involved with the festival side of things. And the best part is, the hours are flexible.”

Mona also volunteers with her condominium board, and she recently signed up to assist the visually impaired through the new “Be My Eyes” smartphone app. In her spare time she enjoys photography, watching movies, socializing with friends and travelling.

Thank you for being “part of the family,” Mona. We’re grateful to have compassionate and talented volunteers like you.

Happy Volunteer Week to all of our office volunteers: Alisha, Anita, Anjali, Jason, Jie, Joe, Joseph, Jueping, Laurie, Linda, Norma, Shreya and Sylvia. Also “thank you” to our youth club members, our school committee volunteers (Lisa and Sylvia) and our many festival workers!

The post With thanks to you, Mona. Happy Volunteer Week! appeared first on Operation Eyesight.