Sponsor eye surgery & eradicate blindness in India

Mrs. Sivanagendram’ s fingers have magic! Many of the customers who would visit her quaint

tiffin shop outside her home would say that. It had been a while since they got to have lip smacking

Pongal and Idlis.

Widowed a couple of years ago, 55 year old Sivanagendram from Nandivelugu village in Tenali taluka of Guntur

District had been singlehandedly running a tiffin shop to earn her livelihood. She had been living alone

after her husband passed away as her sons live separately in the village.

Her vision in the left eye had become clouded since some months. It would often water too. Soon after

her right eye showed similar signs. She started finding cooking difficult what with smoke from the stove

obscuring her already diminished vision. Unable to place faces or go to market for groceries, she

eventually had to shut the shop. Apathy from her sons further plunged her into gloom.

A visit by some concerned neighbours told her about the outreach camp of Sankara Eye Hospital, Guntur

conducted at Repalle. Sensing a ray of hope, she attended the camp where she came to know about the

cataract in both her eyes. As she looked at the men and women around her she realized she wasn’t

alone. She became emotional when she was told by the counsellor that she need not worry and would

be taken for her treatment in Sankara’s buses immediately.

She got her left eye operated and now after her second visit to Sankara for surgery in her other eye, her

vision has improved to 6/6 in both her eyes. She had resumed her daily chores after her first surgery

and soon after her second one, she also restarted her tiffin shop.

When our field worker visited her recently, she said she was very thankful to the management and staff

of Sankara Eye Hospital, Guntur for giving her good vision which helped her to get her own earning

without depending on her family members.