A blind Cambodian woman who borrowed her year’s salary to reach an eye hospital built by The Fred Hollows Foundation has had her sight restored. 

Ghum Morn, 48, is from a poor village in Steng Trang province in the country's north. Her family makes a difficult living growing rice in the rugged mountains near the Lao PDR border.

The mother-of-three had been completely blinded by cataracts for three years when she learnt a new hospital in the city of Siem Reap was offering free eye surgery funded by The Foundation.

"I used to be very active in working and bringing in income," says Ghum.

"After I lost my sight I couldn't plant the rice, clean the property, do any farm work or plant fruit. My brother from Siem Reap visited me and told me about the new hospital. He told me to come.

"I said I didn't have the money to get there. He said I should borrow money for the trip."

Ghum's blindness had taken a huge personal toll.

"I could not pay for surgery in my province," she says. "I felt very sad and did not want to eat. I stopped smiling."

Ghum lives two days from Siem Reap in the country's north-west - a long trip on poor roads requiring hire of a motor scooter and payment for petrol and accommodation for her husband, who would take her. Ghum borrowed 300,000 riel ($US60) from a neighbour to cover the costs.

"It was a big investment - I took a risk by coming here," said Ghum before her operation. "This money is about one year's pay for me."

In Cambodia, it is estimated that 144,000 people are blind - and more than 90 per cent of these don't have to be. Ghum and her family are amongst the poorest in the country.

To reach more people living in remote regions like Ghum, The Foundation holds outreach eye clinics throughout the year. But the need is still great.

On arriving at Siem Reap Eye Hospital, Ghum was prepared for surgery. To be safe, the medical team decided it would operate on one eye that day and the other eye the following day.

Less than 24 hours after the first surgery, Ghum's husband guided her into the hospital waiting room where a line of cataract patients waited to have their eye patches removed.

When it was Ghum's turn, she looked around as her eye began to focus. She smiled. She could see.

The following day the second eye patch came off. Ghum could see from both eyes for the first time in three years.

"I feel like I am reborn," says Ghum." When I was blind I felt like my life was completely lost.

"I will feel very, very happy when I can see my children's faces and I can do things like cooking and looking after the home.

"I am looking forward to telling the neighbours that if they have a problem to go to Siem Reap Eye Hospital to get treatment. Don't be afraid of surgery."

Siem Reap Eye Hospital was built with support from The Fred Hollows Foundation and the Australian Government through the Avoidable Blindness Initiative.

Learn more about our Cambodia program.

Partners in The Vision 2020 Australia Global Consortium are: The Fred Hollows Foundation, CBM Australia, ICEE, The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists, Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, Foresight Australia, Royal Institute of Deaf and Blind Children, Vision Australia and the Centre for Eye Research Australia.

The objective of the Australian Government's aid program, delivered by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), is to assist developing countries to reduce poverty and achieve sustainable development, in line with Australia's national interest.