Charity Blog – Sightsavers

Everyone at Sightsavers is incredibly proud to be supported by the Polar Vision team. It has taken the team many months of commitment and training to prepare for this amazing challenge, and it is so exciting for us to feel part of this event. The stories from the team that we read through their blogs remind us how lucky we are as an organisation to have such dedicated supporters – people like Alan, Richard and Andrew, who are raising awareness of the important issue of global blindness while they make this challenging journey.

We will be able to achieve so much with the donations that we receive through the team’s fundraising. Here are just a few examples of the life-changing impact that a donation towards Sightsavers can achieve. © Kate Holt/Sightsavers

Trachoma is a potentially blinding eye infection, which has been eradicated in most developed countries. It is the world’s leading cause of preventable blindness. Today, more than two million people are either blind or suffer from a very painful disability because of trachoma. But it can easily be prevented. Mary Mureru, seen at the front of the queue, receives antibiotic treatment, costing just 78 cents/50 pence which means that she will be free from the pain of trachoma.

 © Tim Holt, Sightsavers

78-year-old Noria from Zambia can’t stop smiling after her sight restoring cataract operation, and keeps clapping her hands in thanks. Cataract is the main cause of avoidable blindness in developing countries. It is a clouding of the eye’s lens, which can be rectified with a straightforward operation to replace the lens with a plastic one. It costs only $26/£17 to restore an adult’s sight through cataract surgery.

© Tugela Ridley/Sightsavers

13-year-old Mungu has been blind since birth, and goes to an inclusive school in Uganda. This means that she studies alongside sighted students. A bright girl, Mungu is learning Braille, and she is always the first to put her hand up in class. It’s difficult to believe that before she enrolled in this school two years ago she had barely left her house, as her parents didn’t realise that blind children could be educated. Inclusive education teaches children like Mungu that they are equal members of society.

For more information visit www.sightsaversusa.org

We are incredibly thankful to the team, who inspire us in our work and command such respect as they trek towards the South Pole. Our very best wishes to you all for a Happy Christmas!

Please remember you can still donate to the Polar Vision charities via the Donate Button or via our Indiegogo site