Sight - PDF Document

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  1. Sight Lines WINTER 2017 World Sight Day 2016 celebrations With your support, we are Stronger Together! “Stronger Together” proved an appropriate theme for World Sight Day last October 13. With support from donors like you, our teams in India, Ghana, Kenya, Zambia and Canada worked with partners and colleagues to plan a variety of activities to educate others about avoidable blindness. Over 1,000 people, including Dr. C. Laxma Reddy, Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Telangana, participated in the “Walk for Vision” in Hyderabad, India to increase public awareness of eye health. Our activities included the grand opening of a new eye unit in Kenya (see inside), a partnership seminar, a “Walk for Vision,” media briefings, community and school eye screenings, vision centre inaugurations, a radio campaign and various speaking engagements. To further mark the occasion, we declared 20 more villages in India avoidable blindness- free, bringing the total number of avoidable blindness-free villages in that country to 170! What an impact, thanks to your support! We were honoured to have so many partners and friends – from governments, corporations, non-profit organizations and the eye health sector – join us for our World Sight Day celebrations. We know that when it comes to the fight against avoidable blindness, we truly are stronger together! Thank you for your amazing support! Patson Tembo, our Country Manager of Zambia, delivered a speech on the many ways generous donors like you help Operation Eyesight contribute to the global fight against avoidable blindness. For more photos, visit our World Sight Day album at facebook.com/ OperationEyesightUniversal. It’s new. It’s improved. And you’re reading it! Welcome to the new look of SightLines newsletter! We’ve made some changes to the format, including a bigger type size, more white space and larger photos. We hope you enjoy reading it – and we’d love to hear your comments! Share your feedback with us at 1-800-585-8265 or info@operationeyesight.com. 1 - 8 0 0 - 5 8 5 - 8 2 6 5 o p e r a t i o n e y e s i g h t . c o m

  2. SEE your loyal support at work Give the gift of sight each month. Become a monthly supporter! Thanks to your generosity, we’re saving eyesight — and lives — every day. But the need is still great. You could really enable us to help more people if you became one of our committed monthly donors! That way, you’d help ensure that people in desperate need of sight restoration can be treated throughout the year. When you give to Operation Eyesight every month, you help create a financial safety net that serves as a promise to patients: Yes, we can help you. Any gift you choose to make is greatly appreciated — but as a monthly donor, you’ll also help us reduce costs. Your gift will be withdrawn automatically every month — and it will go to work immediately! 6 ways you can connect with us! 1. Provide us with your email address, and we’ll be happy to send you SightLines electronically instead of in the mail. You’ll also help us cut down on printing costs! Won’t you sign up today? See back page for more information, or contact us at 1-800-585-8265 or info@operationeyesight.com. 2. Visit operationeyesight.com and sign up for our Glimpse eNewsletter for quick email updates. • Sign up for $20/month, and each year you’ll provide new custom-fitted eyeglasses for up to 36 people – for only 66¢/day! 3. Read our weekly posts at: operationeyesight.com/blog 4. Visit us on Facebook: OperationEyesightUniversal 5. Watch us on YouTube: OpEyesightUniversal • Sign up for $50/month, and in one year you’ll provide 12 sight-saving cataract surgeries – for only $1.64/day! 6. See us on Twitter and Instagram: @OpEyesight Volunteers help make Christmas magic There are a lot of special things at Christmas: lights, gifts, the spirit of cheer. But at Operation Eyesight we know some of the real magic of Christmas starts with our wonderful volunteers! Our heartfelt thanks go out to everyone who helped us run our booth at the Spruce Meadows International Christmas Market in November and December, and to everyone who helped at our office over this busy season. Your time and generosity help us go on saving sight and preventing blindness. We think that’s a real Christmas miracle! Warmest thanks to our terrific volunteers for your hard work at Christmas – and every day! We couldn’t do it without you! Give a tribute in someone’s name Losing one’s sight can be much worse than simply being not able to see. In developing countries, where health care is often scarce or unaffordable, sight is life. Donating through a Tribute Gift recognizes someone you care about while also giving the gift of sight. Ask us about gifts that celebrate people and gifts given in memory of loved ones. For more information, contact us at 1-800-585-8265 or info@operationeyesight.com.

  3. Sharing stories from the heart wife passed away, fell in love and were married 75 years after their first kiss. You can find their wonderful story on the CBC’s website via operationeyesight.com/ carolandgeorge, but we think Carol is newsworthy for another reason – she’s one of our longtime loyal donors! She recently sent us a donation with this lovely note attached: “I am grateful for my sight. I always enjoyed seeing pictures shown by Dr. Ben [Gullison, who inspired Art Jenkyns to found Operation Eyesight] on his ‘Magic Lantern’ when he was on furlough from India. He planted the seeds some 50 years ago.” Seeds for a long-time donor planted 50 years ago Childhood sweethearts Carol and George. Carol Harris of New Brunswick made the news in 2013, when she married George Raynes. They first met in grade 1 in 1936. During a class production of Sleeping Beauty in grade 3, George, who wasn’t supposed to kiss Carol, “laid a big wet one on her.” The two stayed in touch and, after George’s first been so unfortunate as to be blind,” she wrote to us. Donors like Carol are bringing hope and light to many people around the world. Thank you, Carol! We hope we’re planting the seeds of many, many generous donors like you. Just as Carol is grateful for her sight, so are we grateful for her! Her generosity is worth celebrating. “It’s been a privilege to help restore sight to those who had Making dreams come true: A Calgary nurse’s final gift In Margaret’s original will, most of her estate was left to relatives, with smaller amounts to charity. When she updated it many years later, Jane says Margaret was surprised to learn that she was under no obligation to leave large gifts to family members. When asked by her lawyer what she really wanted to do, Margaret chose to increase the size of bequests to those charities close to her heart. When Margaret Baxter passed away in Edmonton, AB in May 2015, she left a generous gift to Operation Eyesight. A longtime supporter, Margaret had dealt with eye problems all her life, so she appreciated the work our organization does to give people the gift of sight. Having been a nurse in Calgary for many years, and having nursed at refugee camps, she also understood the universal need for quality health care. Jane says her friend’s legacies were “a way of making Margaret’s dreams come true. She would be truly delighted that her gifts were making the world a better place.” We’re so grateful to Margaret for honouring us with her final gift. She will indeed transform the lives of children, women and men around the world! Her executor and longtime friend Jane Stollery knew Margaret all her life. Jane describes Margaret as a “very strong- willed person, very successful and clear on what she wanted.” Margaret Baxter at her 90th birthday party. See what your lasting gift can do Designating a gift to Operation Eyesight in your will is your opportunity to give the gift of sight and leave a lasting legacy of hope. For more information, contact Susan at 403-670-2635 or toll-free at 1-800-585-8265, or email her at DeikeS@operationeyesight.com.

  4. Our focus on the world Staff honoured by International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness Life-threatening illness averted for toddler Congratulations to two of our senior staff, who received recognition from their peers at the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB)’s 10th General Assembly in October. As the liaison organization between governments and non-governmental agencies, IAPB works with blindness prevention organizations all over the world. If you’ve ever known a child who’s been very ill, you’ll understand what the parents of little Awemboro recently went through. The three-year-old had always been fairly healthy, until one day, when his mother Helina noticed that his eye looked red. Unfortunately, she didn’t have any medication for it, and by the next day, her son’s eye was oozing discharge. Little Awemboro rests against his father before treatment. Helina purchased some eye drops and applied them, but Awemboro’s condition steadily worsened. He developed a high fever and couldn’t eat. After a week, his parents took the little boy to Enyiresi Government Hospital, one of our hospital partners in Ghana. By this time, poor Awemboro was running a very high fever. Both his eyes were so severely swollen with discharge that he couldn’t open them! We couldn’t be more proud of Dr. Boateng Wiafe, who was nominated as an Eye Health Hero, a tribute sponsored by Fondation L’Occitane! Dr. Bo is our Director, Quality and Advocacy, and is based in Ghana. Fortunately, the ophthalmic nurse at the eye clinic had been trained by Operation Eyesight, and was able to diagnose “orbital cellulitis,” which indicates a life-threatening emergency. She consulted a general physician at the hospital and Awemboro was quickly admitted to the hospital. According to the doctor, the little boy had such a high bacterial load in his body that his life was in danger. He was put on systemic antibiotics and eye drops until the condition resolved. Today, he’s back to his normal, happy self! Kashinath Bhoosnurmath, our Global Director of Programs, was also honoured by being elected to IAPB’s board of trustees. The board sets strategic priorities and oversees the implementation of the global organization’s strategic plan. As you can imagine, Awemboro’s parents are very relieved. They’re so grateful to donors like you for providing funds to train the nurse, whose knowledge helped save the sight and life of their little son. On behalf of their family, thank you! Awemboro has clear, healthy eyes today, thanks to donors like you! 1 - 8 0 0 - 5 8 5 - 8 2 6 5 o p e r a t i o n e y e s i g h t . c o m

  5. For all the world to SEE 2017 ? Do you have a fundraising idea for this year? Let us know! Giving the gift of sight on GivingTuesday 2016 + $18,136 On November 29, we kicked off the holiday giving season with GivingTuesday! It’s a special day dedicated to giving back around the world, and we’re proud to have made it an annual event for Operation Eyesight. 362 cataract surgeries To help us reach our $15,000 goal (which we surpassed!), Calgary donors joined us for our second annual “Strikes for Sight” bowling tournament, and many others showed their support by making a donation online, planning their own fundraising event, or helping us spread the word to their family and friends. Thank you all for making GivingTuesday 2016 a huge success – each year gets better and better! Mark your calendars for this year’s GivingTuesday, November 28, 2017! 2015 + $11,490 20,000 students screened for vision problems 2014 + $7,430 Ruth received sight-restoring cataract surgery at one of our partner hospitals in Kenya. Thanks to our GivingTuesday donors, many more children like Ruth will be able to see. Thank you! 5villages declared avoidable blindness-free To read more about GivingTuesday 2016, visit operationeyesight.com/givingtuesday2016 Working together to provide more eye care services in Kenya On World Sight Day 2016, we opened the Huruma Sub-County Hospital Eye Unit in Eldoret, Kenya. The Eye Unit was built by Operation Eyesight (through Standard Chartered Bank’s Seeing is Believing program) and the Uasin Gishu county government. Thanks to generous donors like you, we were able to equip the eye unit and provide training for an ophthalmic nurse and ophthalmic clinical officer. nearby schools and homes along the way. By the time they reached the eye unit, a huge crowd – including representatives from Standard Chartered Bank, the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness and the Ministry of Health – had gathered for the grand opening ceremony. In the week leading up to the event, the eye unit held a free eye screening camp. More than 1,000 people from the surrounding community were screened for vision problems, and 40 patients received sight-restoring cataract surgery. These numbers indicate the high demand for eye care services in the county. This woman couldn’t hide her joy as she escorted her mother-in-law to the eye clinic. On October 13, a procession of 1,500 people, led by the county governor, set out on a three-kilometre walk through Eldoret, attracting participants from About 4,800 people in the county are at risk of going blind, but thanks to our donors and our partners in Kenya, sight- saving treatment is within reach. Thank you! 1 - 8 0 0 - 5 8 5 - 8 2 6 5 o p e r a t i o n e y e s i g h t . c o m

  6. Make your gift today! Tax receipts will be issued for donations of $20 or more unless otherwise requested. We do not sell, trade or otherwise share our mailing lists. The information you provide will be used to keep you informed and up to date on the activities of Operation Eyesight, including our programs, special events, funding needs, and more. If you have questions about our organization or wish to be removed from any of these contacts, phone us at 1-800-585-8265 or email admin@ operationeyesight.com. I understand that my monthly donation will be automatically withdrawn from my bank account or charged to my credit card. I can change or cancel my monthly contribution at any time. To obtain a sample cancellation form, or for more information about my right to cancel a PAD Agreement, I may contact my financial institution or visit www.cdnpay.ca. I have certain recourse rights if any debit does not comply with this agreement. For example, I have the right to receive reimbursement for any debit that is not authorized or is not consistent with this PAD Agreement. To obtain more information on my recourse rights, I may contact my financial institution or visit www.cdnpay.ca. Operation Eyesight, Suite 200, 4 Parkdale Crescent NW, Calgary, AB Canada T2N 3T8 Tel: 403-283-6323 Fax: 403-270-1899 Toll-free: 1-800-585-8265 admin@operationeyesight.com Operation Eyesight Canada is a registered charitable organization. #11906 8955 RR0001 Operation Eyesight USA is a registered charitable organization. #20-2682468 You can help someone see a brighter tomorrow. By telephone: Toll-free in Canada and the USA: 1-800-585-8265 Please cut or tear this page out before filling it out and mailing it back to Operation Eyesight. By mail:Canada: Operation Eyesight Canada, Suite 200, 4 Parkdale Crescent NW, Calgary, AB T2N 3T8 United States: Operation Eyesight USA, 14900 Interurban Ave. S. Suite 271 PMB 35, Seattle, WA 98168-4654 Fax or scan and email this form: Fax: 403-270-1899 Email: admin@operationeyesight.com Online:Go to operationeyesight.com and follow the links My details: Yes!I will support Operation Eyesight’s sight saving projects by making a regular monthly gift of: q$50 q$30 q$20 q$10 qOther $ ____________ ($5 minimum) Signature: ____________________________________________ Title: __________________________________________________ First name: _____________________________________________ Last name: _____________________________________________ Date: ________________________________________________ Address: _______________________________________________ City/Town:______________________________________________ I prefer to make a one-time gift of: q$100 q$75 q$50 q$20 qOther $ ___________ Province/State: __________________________________________ Postal/Zip code: _________________________________________ Payment options: I have enclosed my cheque payable to Operation Eyesight (or a blank cheque marked VOID to pre-authorize a Monthly Gift) Telephone: ( ______ )_____________________________________ Email: _________________________________________________ Charge my: q Visa q MasterCard qAmerican Express Please send me: qinformation about how to leave a gift in my will qcurrent Report to Donors Name on card: __________________________________________ Card number: ___________________________________________ 2017-nl1 Signature: ______________________________________________ Tell us your story! Expiry date: ______/______ Security Code: ________________ I support Operation Eyesight because: ______________________ This donation is made on behalf of: q an individual q a business _______________________________________________________ Please note that if more funds are received for a particular program, project or item than required, Operation Eyesight will re-allocate the funds to areas of highest priority. _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ Thank you!