Many South Africans have poor eyesight, which can be easily remedied if they have access to care; these organisations are gifting sight to those in need.
South Africa (09 July 2024) – Eyesight. It comes so naturally that we often don’t even think about it, unless we get an eyelash or piece of dirt caught in our eye. That kind of discomfort immediately demands our attention, and usually we’re able to make it go away, but imagine not being able to do so, and that the situation is a lot more serious than just an eyelash in your eye. For vulnerable communities in South Africa, this is often the case.
Access to quality eye care is unfortunately a privilege, and not one many can afford. For vulnerable and impoverished communities across South Africa, having access to eyecare is simply not an option for a number of reasons including transport, accessibility, costs, and more. In South Africa, 81% of people in rural areas have never had an eye examination done.
Basic education about eyecare is another factor in play. Many South Africans are not aware of the different causes of blindness and that it is a very real factor to deal with in every South African household. This includes causes such as refractive errors, cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, and more. All of these causes can be worked on and improved, but in 2018, statistics showed that only 49% of men, 51% of women, and 36.2% of the youth have received or gone for eye care treatments. In 2024, this number has not improved by much.
This is especially heartbreaking as eyesight is arguably one of our most important senses. Imagine being held back from work, education, and life because you cannot see. Eyesight allows for opportunity and being held back in life because of uncontrollable circumstances is simply unfair. Luckily, there are organisations in place whose mission is to make eyecare accessible for everyone.
These causes actively make a difference
Relate is a NPO that actively works closely with each cause they are partnered with. They are agents of social change, and this constantly comes through in the work they do, whether it is through the sale of bracelets, through supporting other initiatives, through creating awareness on specific issues, or through partnership. One such inspiring partnership is the partnership they have with Blind Loyalty.
Blind Loyalty’s sole purpose is to give the gift of eyesight. They offer ophthalmology procedures to under-privileged and vulnerable patients. This includes screenings, provision of glasses, cataract surgeries, and even corneal transplant surgery. Blind Loyalty does not only talk the talk, but they walk the walk. Amanda Cromhout, founder of Blind Loyalty, underwent a scary experience in 2022 where she went temporarily blind in her right eye, and it is only due to having access to necessary funds and having access to the correct specialists that her vision was restored. This inspired an initiative that works around the clock to give those in need access to eyecare, not because it is their job, but because they genuinely care.
Blind Loyalty works closely with Grace Vision and supports them in providing the funds needed, and in turn, Grace Vision provides the surgeons/equipment. Together, they provide the necessary services needed in vulnerable communities.
A relationship that started as a traditional charity meeting has since blossomed into an inspiring partnership. In February 2024, Relate had the opportunity to tag along with Blind Loyalty on one of their missions in the Eastern Cape. What ensued was inspiring and eye-opening.
The mission
The mission to the Eastern Cape in February was met with one unexpected thing. Joy. Even though many in these communities struggle with sight, they offer a joyous welcome to everyone who passes through, meeting the team from Blind Loyalty, the surgeons from Grace Vision, and the team from Relate with warm, welcoming smiles.
The mission’s strategy was to provide operations and save the vision of those who need it through lower-cost eye interventions, helping more people more quickly and cost-effectively.
“It is so inspiring to see the enthusiasm of everyone involved”, says Amanda Cromhout of Blind Loyalty. “The team from Grace Vision has a lot of young people, but they exert themselves with such maturity and care, and empathy and know exactly how to treat these terrified individuals who only know blindness and who have trekked for a few days to get to us,” she says.
Cataracts are very common as people get older, and for those with access to medical aid and specialists, this is not an issue. For people living in rural and impoverished areas, such as the communities in the Eastern Cape, getting a cataract can result in losing their eyesight. As tragic as this is for an individual, the situation has a ripple effect on a wider social group. Often, when family members start to lose their vision, younger members of the family will give up their education or work to stay home and be caregivers. That is the norm.
The ophthalmologists that form part of the outreach team have managed to take an operation that usually costs approximately R25,000 per eye down to R5,000 for both eyes. In one day, not only 28 operations were done, but 28 lives were changed.
“My first job as a young social worker was in the field of blindness, so that has always been my passion,” says Lauren Gillis, Founder of Relate. “To find my way back to this by going on a mission and being part of the cause has been incredibly rewarding.”
The celebrations afterwards were soulful, joyful, loud, and contagious. Most of the patients could see for the first time in a very long time and sang and danced in gratitude.
Why is this all important?
Currently, Grace Vision can set aside one day per month to operate. As is, there are hundreds of people on their list due to the Covid pandemic having caused a major backlog. This is why organisations such as Relate and Blind Loyalty are important, because working together to secure more funds provides greater opportunity for more operations to be done.
Imagine all you see is darkness, and you aren’t educated about the fact that cataracts – which are curable – could be the cause. Education around eyecare is a must, and knowing the difference between needing glasses or an operation is important.
“Unnecessary blindness due to uncontrollable circumstances is heartbreaking,” says Dalit Shekel, CEO of Relate Bracelets, who will be joining the next outreach towards the end of July. “This is a call to action for all of us. By supporting these initiatives, we can change lives and bring hope to those in need.
“We must recognize the gravity of what can happen, educate ourselves and understand the options available to us,” Shekel continues. “Taking care of our eyes is essential, especially when we have access to professional eyecare. The gift of eyesight is invaluable and should be celebrated every day. We are deeply committed to supporting this project and making a lasting impact in this community”.
Sources: Supplied
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