Beneficiaries

Blinded by cataract, 60 year old Yang Wensheng was an accountant until poor eyesight forced him out of his job and into farming. With a family to support, he had no option but to work the land. Surgery to remove the cataract was simply too expensive.

Wensheng is one of 160,360 people who have received free cataract surgery in China as part of the Bright and Smile Initiative, which began in 2009.

The project is a partnership between The Fred Hollows Foundation and Jiangxi Province Government.

Prior to his operation, Wensheng worried constantly about his family’s future. He knew his eyesight would continue to deteriorate and affect his ability to support them.

Then, the village doctor let him know about the Bright and Smile Initiative.

Following surgery, Wensheng feels he has been given a second chance. The return of his sight will reap benefits for him, and his entire family.

Eighty-five year old Zhou Jing Guang has been affected by bilateral blindness for 10 years. Zhou lives in a small village in Jiangxi Province, which has one of the highest rates of blindness in China.

Living in semi darkness and unable to afford an operation, Zhou was restricted to the four walls of his home.

But, thanks to The Fred Hollows Foundation Zhou's life was changed once he received a sight restoring operation free of charge.

Once a farmer of rice, sweet potatoes and cotton, Zhou could no longer look after himself or farm. Instead, Zhou was totally dependent on his son, Tai Yang.

Zhou first found out about The Foundation's work through other villagers who had their sight restored at Gao'an Hospital. A doctor came to see Zhou at his home and advised him that he should have the operation.

Dr Deng, who was trained by The Foundation, performed surgery on one of Zhou's eyes. The operation was a success and for the first time in his life, Zhou was able to see his grandson.

Ai Hua is a nurse at Gao'an City Hospital. With support from The Fred Hollows Foundation, she took part in a one month training program that gave her the skills to support cataract surgeons.

Her training and work means that Gao'an City Hospital, based in Jiangxi Province, has expanded its capacity from two cataract surgeries each morning to 10.

Ai Hua's training is just one example of The Foundation's partnership and collaboration with hospitals and organisations in the countries where we work; building local expertise and facilities to restore sight and build hope.

"The area I am from is poor and many people cannot afford medical treatment. I like my job because I can care for people," says Ai Hua.