Operation Eyesight

Feeling charitable? Yes, I know it's tax day, but while filling out all my tax forms and filing them, I came across a printout of an e-mail that I received from Mary Ganguli a few weeks back. Some college mates of hers are working in India to help restore the eyesight of poor people. They are performing cataract surgeries in Sriperumbudur (near Chennai, in Tamil Nadu).

They (John and Suriyatha David) write:

As some of you might know Suriya & I worked in a very rural part of AP for 18 years at the Arogyavaram eye hospital (1976 to 1994). After that we moved to Chennai for our children's studies. Suriya started the Eye Care Program at the Prepare Hospital in 1994.

Over the years with God's grace, hard work, inputs and financial support from Prepare & Operation Eyesight of Canada, the work has grown by leaps & bounds to such an extent that Prepare decided to hand over the whole hospital for eye work.

Today the Hospital is entering its 12th year of service at Sriperumbudur (50 kms from Chennai--sadly became famous after Rajiv Gandhi's tragic death) serving two districts of Kanchipuram & Tiruvallur with a combined population of over 6 lakhs (600,000). It is a very modern hospital & a boon to the people of this area, who otherwise had to travel to Chennai for all their eye ailments.

We want to target 1000 cataract surgeries for this year for patients who cannot afford to pay. For this dream to come true we need your help. For just US$ 22 we can provide one person the "gift of Sight". (This compares to a cost of US$1000 or more in the western world.)

We request as many of you to come forward & support this noble cause, To give people back not just their sight, but also their dignity. All donations will be acknowledged & digital photos of patients operated upon will be sent to you by e-mail with all the details of the patient.

Do look at our web site.

Johnny & Suriya

This program is being sponsored by a Canadian organization, Operation Eyesight Universal, which is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta. OEU will issue a receipt to US donors if they write Operation Eyesight Universal (USA) on their donation check (the donor must write this down on their check). Receipts will be issued in a letter form (as per US receipt guidelines).

Address

OEU-Canada World HQ
# 4 Parkdale Crescent NW
Calgary, AB T2N 3T8
Canada

If you're feeling generous, drop them a note and a few dollars. Imagine giving the gift of sight to someone for only $22!