ABringing hope to Blind childe in Smala

One of HISAN goal is to bring hope to visually impaired children. HISAN has been involved in Education for the blind, prevention of avoidable Blindness through public awareness and early childhood intervention measures. In August 2007, we met a blind girl named Khadija, then aged 8 years. We approached her parents on the need to take her to School, but the father was hesitant to let her be away from home, given that Khadija was also epileptic. After several reassuring he agreed to visit our school and see how a Blind child learns, after which he vowed to enroll her in school. At Rainbow school the teachers suspected that she had congenital cataract that can be operated and hopefully regain sight. The School took her and others to an eye camp at Buro Mareer in October 2007 for eye screening. The

doctors confirmed there is hope that she can regain sight if operated but at that particular eye camp they were operating adults only.

February 2008 there was an eye camp in Jowhar. This time they had facilities to cater for the children. Since most of the children hail from poor background, we organized for transport and accommodation for Khadija, five other children and their parents to Johwar where they were operated. After the bandage was removed, the doctors, parents and HISAN staff were excited that the children can see again, shifting from Braille to prints reading while at school.