The joy of seeing again

Birhane's joy at seeing her grandson is beyond words.

Since her husband died 8 years ago, 68-year-old Birhane Mariam has been living with her son Tesfay and his family. As a grandmother, she took care of the baby, Hailu, and the household while Tesfay and his wife worked the fields and tended livestock. Two years ago, however, Birhane's eyesight began to weaken, and within one year she was completely blind. She could no longer work. In fact, she needed help every step of the way, even for everyday tasks such as getting dressed or eating.

A year later, Tesfay heard that a clinic in Mekelle could treat blind people, so he promptly made his way there with his mother. After eight hours – most of it on foot – they reached the hospital supported by LIGHT FOR THE WORLD. Dr. Fitsum, an ophthalmologist, diagnosed Birhane with a cataract – and noted that it was curable. On the same day Birhane underwent surgery, and she was able to go home the very next day. The joy Birhane feels when she holds her 2-year-old grandson in her arms is immeasurable – especially as she has never properly seen him before. But then she goes straight to the stove: When Hailu gets back from school she'll serve injera, a traditional Ethiopian dish. Birhane is happy and full of renewed vigor: "It feels so good to be able to work again...that's a wonderful feeling!"

You too can help people see again: A cataract operation to restore a blind person's sight costs only 30 euros. Thank you.

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Saving sight last minute

Haile Keros, 8 years old, lives with his parent in the North of Ethiopia, in an extremely dry and infertile region. His father Giorgis owns two small fields, but there he only grows teff, an Ethiopian sort of crop similar to our millet, which is also growing on paltry ground. So his family mostly eats mash out of teff which satisfies hunger, but it does not contain any vitamin A.

The white spots in Haile's eyes are an alarmin sign for the lack of vitamin A.

Most people in Ethioppia live far away from ophthalmic infrastructure – in many regions one ophthalmomogist is responsible for one million people!

By providing him with Vitamin A Haile's sight is saved.

In this way the fieldworkers met Haile. Seeing the white spots in his eyes they realized at once that he had severe vitamin A deficiency.
The fieldworkers sent Haile and his father to the nearest outreach – to Wukro. For a whole day father and son marched through the desert and the heat. But in Wukro Haile is provided with a dose of vitamin A at once. And his father gets another dose and an antibiotic ointment.

Relieved Haile and his father start their long, exhausting travel back home. But the trip had been successful - Haile's eye sight was saved!

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Eye ointment for Ntapayian

Ntapayian with her grandmother

Ntapayian Jamperu Kipaloi is seven years old. She belongs to the Massai tribe - semi-nomadic shepherds in Kenya.
From her earliest childhood she repeatedly infected herself with trachoma that is transmitted by contact with eye secretion. Later she constantly complained about having painful eyes.
In school her family found out that a team consisting of 7 eye assistants from Kikuyu in nearby Kaliado were setting up a mobile eye camp to treat patients. Ntapayian's grandmother accompanied her to the sick bay.

Ntapayian is treated at the mobile eye camp

There the painful infectious eye disease was diagnosed. If left untreated it results in the eyelid turning inwards and then the eyelashes scratch the cornea. Incurable blindness follows.
Ntapayian came at an early stage to be treated. She was given an antibiotic eye ointment that saved her eyesight. Without the mobile eye clinic and treatment by the staff of LIGHT FOR THE WORLD - Christoffel Development Cooperation - Ntapayian would not have had any possibility of receiving ophthalmological help.

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Our request: You can give sight! Eye ointment for one family costs only 5 Euro. Every contribution helps. Thank you!

Stepping into life

Gebremeskel is learning to use his cane to get past obstacles safely

6-year-old Gebremeskel has been blind since birth. He lives with his parents in Aykel, a small town in the north of Ethiopia. His parents were very worried for their son, but they did not know how to help him.

In his first careful attempts to explore his environment, Gebremeskel fell and injured himself. From then on, he could only move around inside the family's hut, usually on all fours. Two months ago, Gebremeskel was admitted to the rehabilitation program in Gondar. Since then, a rehabilitation worker named Worku Asrat has been coming by three times a week and working with Gebremeskel's mother to further the boy's development. Thanks to his mobility training, he was not only able to move around safely inside the hut within a few weeks, he can also find his way outside the hut using his cane. He can even take a few steps out of the yard on his own. For a few weeks now, Gebremeskel has also been learning Braille.

Gebremeskel tackles all of his exercises eagerly – with the support of his entire family and Worku Asrat. After all, just a few weeks ago no one would have believed that Gebremeskel would be able to leave the yard or even move around the house safely. Now they are all proud – and happy, as Gebremeskel will be able to make his way independently and determine his own future in life.

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Step by step into the future

Babu's mother was in labor for a long time when he was born. Four days later, his parents noticed that Babu's head had become unusually large. Concerned, they brought him to CCBRT in Dar Es Salaam, a hospital for people with disabilities supported by LIGHT FOR THE WORLD. At the hospital, Babu underwent surgery to ensure that his head would not become even larger.
Babu has grown to be a lively, happy child. However, his large head has slowed down his physical development. At the age of one year, Babu was admitted to the community-based rehabilitation program in Dar Es Salaam.
In the program, rehabilitation workers have taught him and his mother exercises in order to train his muscles. Babu also exercises at home every day in order to build up the strength in his muscles.
Babu has made great progress: After just a few weeks, he was able to hold his head up, and he has even been crawling for several months now.
With the help of his daily exercises, Babu's muscles will become stronger and stronger. Soon enough, he will learn to stand – and with a lot of stamina and care, he will also be able to walk someday.

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Giving a future to children with disabilities living in severe poverty

Despite of her 4 years Terfa can only move around by crawling on all fours.

A few weeks ago fieldworkers of the rehabilitation program in Gondar, built up by LIGHT FOR THE WORLD, found 4 year old Terfa. She could neither walk or stand on her own feet. She could not keep her body balanced and could move only by crawling on all fours and she was unable to speak.

Her parents did not know how to help their little daughter.

With the bar built by Terfa's family, Terfa does her daily walking exercise. Soon she will be able to stand and walk without any help.

The development of speech is more challenging: Fieldworker Birchco repeats the same words with Terfa and Terfa repeats what she hears, but it is hard to understand. But she is young. With her 4 years she has a good chance to develop and advance her speech further.

Her progress, her strength, her joy to learn, and with the support by her family, and Birchco will allow Terfa to live more independently as a person with a disability and to find her own way in a self determined life.

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Please give disabled children a chance. living in poverty a chance. Support and assistance for a disabled child costs 25 Euro a month. Thank you!