Cure Blindness Project

A Father’s Persistence Restores More Than Sight

For more than a year, George lived in complete darkness.

At 75 years old, the father from Mayom County faced a reality no parent should endure—unable to see, he struggled to care for his young children or provide for his family. Daily life became an overwhelming challenge, marked by uncertainty and dependence.

But George refused to give up.

Twice, he made the difficult journey to Bentiu in search of eye care. Twice, he returned home without the treatment he desperately needed. For many, those setbacks might have been the end of the road. For George, they were not.

When he heard that a specialized medical team supported by Cure Blindness Project would be visiting Bentiu State Hospital, he made the journey once more. This time, he stayed—waiting for three weeks, holding onto hope that his moment might finally come.

“Life was very difficult for me,” George recalled. “I have young children to take care of, but I could not see.”

At last, his perseverance paid off.

George received sight-restoring surgery, and with it, a new beginning. When the bandages were removed, he could see again—his children, his home, and the future he had fought so hard to reclaim.

“I am very happy that I can now see clearly,” he said. “I have always wanted to be a responsible father and take care of my children. I want to educate them; maybe one of them will become a doctor.”

George’s story is a powerful reminder that restoring sight does more than change one life—it strengthens families and reshapes futures. Today, with his vision restored, George is not only regaining his independence, but also renewing his role as a father, provider, and dreamer.

Because when sight is restored, hope is restored too.

Links:

• Cure Blindness Project website

"I feel like crying happily. I don't have words to thank you – thank you."

Tanga, a 60-year-old farmer and traditional cloth worker in Ethiopia, lost his sight to cataracts, leaving him unable to work and fully dependent on his children.

"It was a very difficult time," Tanga recounts. Desperate for treatment, he traveled to a hospital in the city, spending precious time and resources waiting for surgery. "I spent a lot of time waiting to have surgery and waiting at a rental house and became financially poor," he explains. "My son brought me back to my home because we couldn’t wait more.”

Helpless and unable to work, Tanga relied entirely on his son, Tadese, and his other children for even the simplest tasks. "My son Tadese and my other children were helping me to go to the toilet, serve coffee, to do everything," he shares. "I was thinking to k!ll myself down near the river."

His son Tadese Tango struggled to support his family during Tanga's blindness. "It was a very hard time," Tadese says. "Even I couldn’t make any cent for this one year because I couldn’t do my work properly because of my father's blindness, we finished all our money."

Hope arrived unexpectedly in the form of an announcement about a free eye surgery campaign by Cure Blindness Project. "This was the only hope for us," Tadese recalls. "Free eye treatments, free transportation, and free food – all we need was that."

Thanks to the outreach, Tanga underwent successful cataract surgery and regained his sight in both eyes. The transformation was profound. "Now I can eat by myself," Tanga exclaims, his voice filled with joy. "I can start farming and my traditional cloth work!" He adds, "Thank you from the bottom of my heart for this team and Cure Blindness Project."

Thanks to this outreach, Tanga has hope again.