Finally a view of a future

For years, Sahima (12) and Jashmin (10) from Birgunj, Nepal, saw the world through a haze. Both were born with congenital cataracts. What other children take for granted, learning, playing, and dreaming remained, out of reach for them. Their world was not only literally cloudy, but also heavy and lonely.

After fleeing domestic violence, their mother, Safina, was on her own. She raised her daughters in poverty, without a support network or any resources. The girls’ visual impairment created additional obstacles: they couldn’t keep up at school, were socially excluded, and their insecurity grew by the day. Medical help was simply unaffordable. For years, there seemed to be no way out.

Everything changed when Safina heard through relatives about free cataract surgeries at the Himalaya Eye Hospital in Pokhara, made possible by the support of Eye Care Foundation. For the first time, she dared to hope again. With courage and determination, she traveled to the hospital with her daughters, where Sahima and Jashmin underwent urgent surgery.

The moment the bandages were removed, everything changed. For the first time, the girls saw their mother clearly. They saw colors, faces, and details they had never perceived before. With their sight restored, their self-confidence returned along with the belief in a future full of possibilities.

Safina can hardly find the words to express her gratitude: “Thanks to this help, my daughters can now truly dream of a different life.”