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A CASE FOR SUPPORT If her sight disappears, so does she.

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Page 1: If her sight disappears, so does she. · A mother’s hope for her children’s future is restored. Living in a remote area of Kenya, Julia struggled to raise her family. Four of

A CASE FOR SUPPORT

If her sight disappears, so does she.

Page 2: If her sight disappears, so does she. · A mother’s hope for her children’s future is restored. Living in a remote area of Kenya, Julia struggled to raise her family. Four of

A N U R G E N T C A S E T O A D D R E S S A

The idea of blindness is

paralyzing. When your sight

disappears, so does the world

around you. Imagine not being

able to see the chalkboard, not

being able to read a book, not

being able to see your child’s

artwork, and missing

the beauty of nature.

For people who live in

developing countries,

losing sight is catastrophic.

For children, access to

education disappears.

For adults, the ability to support

their families disappears. They

are often unemployed with no

way to support their families or

contribute to their communities.

Yet, for millions of people, this

impairment could be treated,

or could have been prevented,

with access to quality eye

health care. They are needlessly

suffering.

Together, we can prevent

blindness and restore sight.

We can transform lives.

G L O B A L C R I S I S .

“We share the same sunshine; we breathe the same

oxygen. Why should others suffer in blindness that can be

prevented? Let’s end injustice.”

– Dr. Hillary Rono, Operation Eyesight Partner Ophthalmologist

According to the World Health Organization’s World Report on Vision,

over one billion people suffer from vision impairment that could have

been prevented or could be treated. Almost 90 per cent of these cases

are in low- and middle-income countries, where quality eye health care

is not accessible to all. Some live in remote areas, where access to health

care seems impossible. For some, their families hold beliefs that people

who are suffering are to blame for their blindness, and they must live

with this predicament.

Your support saves and improves the lives of millions.

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Case For Support

As her sight disappears, so does her education.

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The need.

Vision impairment and blindness impede access to

education, employment and other opportunities.

Vision is a basic human right. For children who

experience vision impairment in developing countries,

there are serious repercussions that affect success later

in life. They are significantly less likely to be enrolled

in school than children without disabilities, and if they

are enrolled, they are more likely to drop out. This

effect is observed even more in girls than in boys, as

girls are often required to stay home to care for family

members and to manage household chores.

Children with vision impairment lose the opportunity for

a brighter future that an education provides. Adults lose

the ability to support their families and contribute to

their communities. They are often marginalized by those

around them.

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Case For Support

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Vision impairment is a human rights issue. The most severe

consequences of blindness are felt by those already living in poverty.

Vision impairment is also a gender

issue. More women and girls endure

the consequences of vision impairment

than men and boys. Women face more

barriers to accessing eye health care.

One reason for the disparity is that

women live longer than men, so they

are more likely to develop age-related,

non-communicable eye diseases such

as cataract, glaucoma and macular

degeneration. But despite the fact that

more women than men are affected

by the condition, women are not

prioritized to receive treatment.

Women and girls are also at increased

risk for infectious eye diseases because

of traditional gender roles. Women

and girls carry the burden of staying

behind to tend to household chores

and caretaking responsibilities. Not

only does this increase their risk of

contracting trachoma themselves, but

it often limits their opportunities to go

to school or find employment.

How can this cycle be broken to give

people a chance to thrive?

Health systems face significant challenges in meeting the current

and projected eye care needs of the world’s population. You can

help break the cycle by empowering people and communities to

take ownership of their eye health.

Through door-to-door community

outreach in remote villages combined

with counselling and health

education, every single child, woman

and man in a community can be

reached. They can be screened for

vision issues, referred for diagnosis

and further care, and educated about

available treatment options and how

they can prevent blinding conditions

for themselves and their families.

With your help, women and men will

have more opportunities, children

will be healthier and can pursue an

education, and communities will

become stronger and more resilient.

We have the solution.

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Case For Support

When you restore sight for one person, you restore hope and optimism for an entire family. A mother’s hope for her children’s

future is restored.

Living in a remote area of Kenya,

Julia struggled to raise her family.

Four of her six children, and her

one-year-old granddaughter,

had suffered from blindness since

birth. Julia was told they couldn’t

be treated. She was desperate

for a solution, and their future

looked bleak.

In 2019, Julia heard about a

nearby eye screening camp

organized by Operation Eyesight.

There, the children were

diagnosed with cataracts,

and were referred for surgery.

Without surgery, Julia’s children

and granddaughter would have

continued to struggle in school,

trapping them in the cycle of

poverty. Surgery restored their

sight and gave them another

chance at a better life.

Compassionate donors like you

made a brighter future possible

for this family. Don’t let a child

live another day with blindness

that can be easily treated.

Compassionate donors like you made a brighter future possible for

this family. Don’t let a child live another day with blindness that can

be easily treated.

Join the movement today.

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Case For Support

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IMAGE OF A COMMUNITY

You can create access to eye

health care for a person who

has lost hope that a solution

exists. Your support allows

us to reach people who

are typically unreachable,

ensuring that every person

in every household of our

remote target villages is

screened, counselled and

referred for further care by

someone who lives and works

in their own community.

You can provide quality

eye health care to someone

who can’t afford to pay for

it. Your support will ensure

trained professionals are

available in well-equipped

facilities that are accessible to

all in a specific region. Over

time, the revenue generated

from patients who can pay

for services offsets the needs

of those who can’t afford it.

These facilities become self-

sufficient and communities

proudly look after their own

citizens without the need for

external aid.

You can give people access

to clean water and sanitary

conditions, eliminating the

risk of blinding bacterial

diseases. Diseases such as

trachoma are spread through

poor hygiene, due to a lack

of education about why

it’s important and a lack of

access to clean water. You

support the prevention of

future cases of trachoma

through the drilling or

rehabilitation of boreholes

to bring fresh water to

communities who don’t

have it, and by educating

communities on the

importance of good hygiene

and sanitation practices.

Today, you can join the global movement to change the lives of people who are affected by

avoidable blindness in developing countries. To create lasting change in the countries where

we work, we need to equip these communities to prevent blinding eye conditions, to have access

to quality eye health care, to have knowledge of the care available to them, and to adopt the

behaviour of seeking that care when they need it. This will put an end to avoidable blindness and

create a culture of empowerment for generations to come. Your support makes this possible.

We can’t do it alone.

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Our model is community focused.

Community health workers

empower people by giving them the

knowledge and tools they need to

care for their families. We ensure

help will be there when they need it

by working with our partner hospital

to ensure they have the personnel,

facilities and supplies available to

provide quality eye health care

to everyone in the surrounding

communities. This model lays the

foundation for resilient communities

for years to come.

Our model can be scaled up to reach

even more people. By helping to

build capacity and improve quality

of care in our partner hospitals and

vision centres in India, we have

made it possible for them to attract

patients who can afford to pay for

treatment. In turn, these paying

patients help subsidize the treatment

of those who can’t afford to pay,

creating a sustainable resource that

will serve the community well into

the future. We aim to expand this

successful and sustainable model

to other countries where avoidable

blindness is prevalent.

While our ultimate goal is to

eliminate avoidable blindness, our

model changes lives in many other

ways. Our model goes beyond sight

and promotes overall good health

and well-being. When people can

see to work, they have a chance

to break the cycle of poverty. We

address inequalities in eye health

care for women, empowering them

and expanding their options. And

we provide communities with clean

water and sanitation to reduce the

spread of disease and allow the

community to thrive.

Our Hospital-Based Community Eye Health model takes an inclusive,

integrated approach to eye health care. This approach allows us

to not only target the medical problems that lead to avoidable

blindness, but the socio-economic causes as well.

Why us?

As their sight disappears, so do

their opportunities.

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Case For Support

Founded in 1963 in Calgary, Canada,

we have been recognized as a

global leader working towards the

elimination of avoidable blindness

for decades. We collaborate with our

hospital and government partners

in low- and middle-income countries

to invest in sustainable eye health

treatment, prevention and community

development to create a better life

for people now and into the future.

We currently have programs in India,

Nepal, Bangladesh, Kenya, Zambia,

Ghana, Ethiopia and Liberia, and

we are looking to expand to other

countries in the future. We adhere

to the highest standard of integrity,

accountability and compassion, and

we live those principles in our work

every day.

Although our organization has a

strong presence in Canada, most of

our employees are based locally in

the countries where we work. This

allows us to utilize local expertise to

maximize your impact, and enables

the communities we operate in to

be empowered to take ownership of

their own eye health so they are not

reliant on us.

For over a decade, we have developed

and implemented our Hospital-Based

Community Eye Health model of

eye care to reach people in remote

locations. This model empowers

communities by connecting them

with quality eye health care and

education, leading to the elimination

of avoidable blindness in entire

villages. With the support of our

donors, this proven effective model

has changed the lives of millions of

people in India, and we have started

to successfully implement it into

other countries where we work.

Our model can be scaled to countries

around the world, with the potential

to eliminate avoidable blindness

worldwide. It positions us to become

an important player in implementing

the recommendations of the World

Health Organization’s 2019 World

Report on Vision, which calls for an

integrated approach.

About us.

Your support brings sustainable facilities to serve people in remote areas for generations to come.

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Case For Support

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With your support, community health workers are trained to reach people in remote areas.

It all starts with the

community health worker.

As a young woman living in a

small village in Nepal, Amita was

expected to stay home and look

after her family. She dreamed of

a future serving her community

as a nurse, but her family couldn’t

afford to send her to school.

The opportunity to become a

community health worker in her

village gave Amita the fulfillment

she always wanted. Every day she

changes lives in her community.

She educates people to understand

that superstitions do not affect

health issues, and she teaches them

to look after their own eye health.

When she identifies children or

adults with eye health issues, she

refers and sometimes accompanies

them to the closest eye health

clinic. She has become a respected

expert in the area where she lives.

You can provide training and

fulfilling opportunities for

women to make a huge impact

in their communities.

“ Now whenever people have problems with their eyes, they come to

me for a solution.”

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Case For Support

Vision impairment affects an individual at

every stage of life. For children, it can impact

their ability to learn and interact with their

peers and their families. For adults, it can

hinder their ability to gain employment,

keeping them from earning an income and

caring for the ones they love. For more senior

adults, it can be isolating. It threatens their

independence and their ability to contribute

to their families.

Eliminating avoidable blindness is our

primary objective. To accomplish this,

our comprehensive model is designed to

eliminate all forms of inequity in eye health

care. It addresses gender equity, ensuring

that women and girls receive quality care,

and key prevention components such

as community water and sanitation.

By donating to Operation Eyesight you’re

not just providing eye health care to some

of the most underserved groups in the world

— you’re also helping to build progressive,

resilient communities.

When a woman is empowered to make

decisions regarding her own health, she can

improve the overall health of her family and

contribute to the growth of her community.

If a woman is given the gift of sight, she has

a greater chance to pursue education and

meaningful employment. Eliminating gender

inequality is the right thing to do, but it also

creates a better community for everyone.

Empowering women is one of the strongest

catalysts for driving sustainable development

across all sectors. It enhances economic

growth, improves education and increases

positive health outcomes.

The impact you can make is astounding.

Through the gift of sight, you can put an

end to poverty, inequality and hopelessness.

You can restore what has disappeared.

You can transform lives.

The ability to see is only the beginning of the impact your donation

will have on someone’s life. Quality eye health care contributes to

overall quality of life in many ways. The ripple effect that flows

from proper eye health care leads to the decline of inequality

and allows communities to thrive.

What we can do together.

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Case For Support

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The World Health Organization

estimates that global demand for

eye health care will triple by 2050

as a result of population growth,

aging and changes in lifestyle.

Please give today. Don’t let

another person suffer needlessly

from avoidable blindness.

The people who need us are at

the heart of our model. We ensure

that we reach people who are

marginalized, providing them

with quality eye health care and

educating them to look after their

families and their communities.

Our model provides vision centres

to serve people who live far from

hospitals, and these vision centres

become financially self-sustaining

in a very short time, giving people

a health care resource that will

serve those who need it for

generations to come. This model

has changed millions of lives, and

it has the potential to give hope to

many more.

With your help, Operation Eyesight

can support the continued delivery

of effective, sustainable and

impactful solutions to address the

global crisis. You can ensure that

quality eye health care will be

available to everyone – today,

and well into the future.

Will you help?

Join us in eliminating the world’s largest unaddressed disability.*

* Essilor. (2020, February). Eliminating Poor Vision in a Generation Report. Retrieved from www.essilorseechange.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Eliminating-Poor-Vision-in-a-Generation-Report.pdf

Increase the capacity

of a hospital to

provide quality eye

health care to more

people who need it.

Bring clean water

and sanitation to a

community.

Establish a school

screening program

to ensure children

with vision issues are

identified and helped.

Provide eye health

training to increase

expertise in the

communities where

it’s most needed.

Establish a vision

centre to serve remote

communities that are

far from hospitals.

Eliminate avoidable

blindness in a

designated district.

Through the gift of sight, you can fund a project that will:

Talk to us about our priority projects. We can help you find a project that

fits your investment budget and is aligned with your giving priorities.

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Charitable Registration Number: Canada 119068955 RR0001 | United States 20-2682468 | United Kingdom 1135169

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“We are motivated, but we need your help. You can transform the lives of people who need it the most.”Aly Bandali, President and CEO, Operation Eyesight

There are many ways you can make a difference. You can donate online at

operationeyesight.com/donate, through our Calgary office, or through one

of the following options:

Corporate Giving

Your company can partner with us for your

Corporate Social Responsibility program, set up an

employee giving program or donate as part of your

commitment to the World Health Organization’s

Sustainable Development Goals.

Legacy Gift Leave a gift in your will to Operation Eyesight.

You can designate a specific amount, or leave a

percentage of your estate.

Gift of Stocks and Securities

By donating securities directly to Operation

Eyesight, you’ll avoid capital gains taxes, maximize

the return on your investment and preserve your

tax credits to be used against other taxable income.

Make a Gift in Honour of a Loved One

You can dedicate a meaningful gift to someone

important while also helping to transform the lives

of children, families and communities in developing

countries. Operation Eyesight will send a

customizable ecard or a print card to the recipient.

Monthly Donations

By signing up to give a monthly donation, you

can ensure that eye care is available year round

to those who need it.

Ways to Give.

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operationeyesight.com