We are thrilled to announce the successful conclusion of our three-year Light up Lives project, preventing and treating avoidable blindness in Zimbabwe.
Funded by generous CBM UK supporters and the UK government through the UK Aid Match scheme, this project has significantly improved the quality of life for thousands of people across Zimbabwe.
In 2021, CBM UK’s Light up Lives appeal raised an incredible £1.2 million in donations from UK supporters. This amount was matched by the UK government, bringing the total to £2.3 million. The project has enabled CBM UK to address critical eye health needs in Midlands Province, Zimbabwe and restore sight to thousands of people who had been living needlessly blind.
Each statistic represents stories of hope. Recently, we met three individuals who received cataract surgery through the project, and they shared how their lives have changed after regaining their sight.
In 2017, Simbarashe, now 42, noticed something was wrong with his vision. When he visited a local clinic, he was diagnosed with cataracts. But after travelling to the hospital for treatment, he discovered he couldn’t afford the cost of the surgery. A year later, after saving some money, he returned – only to discover that the hospital had increased its fees.
It wasn’t until 2023, six years after he started losing his sight, that Simbarashe heard about a CBM eye camp offering free cataract surgery. After years of struggling with his eyesight, Simbarashe was finally able to have surgery, which saved his sight.
For Simbarashe and his family, the impact was life-changing.
“Once my vision was restored, there was joy in the home.”
“Before the surgery, I went everywhere with my child. Some people wondered if there was some ritual magic that required me to always be with my child. They did not understand that I needed him to guide me everywhere, because I did not have a walking cane.”
Lucia, a single mother aged 31, lives alone in a rural village with no running water or electricity. Over the course of three years, she gradually lost her vision. By 2023, she was completely blind.
Unable to see, Lucia’s three children went to live with relatives from her late husband’s family.
“After I had gone completely blind, I could no longer take care of myself. I relied on my sister-in-law, who assisted me with everything.”
Her blindness also meant she lost her independence and connection to her community.
“The blindness meant that I could no longer work or attend church. I would weep every day.”
One day, Lucia’s local pastor suggested she visit a nearby clinic, where she learned she could have cataract surgery.
The impact was immediate.
“From the very moment that the eye patch was removed after cataract surgery, my life changed.”
Last year, Lucia was trained as an eye health champion, spreading awareness in her local community. Shortly after being trained, she was able to help a man whose eyes had been exposed to snake venom. The project trained 440 eye health champions like Lucia and many more told their stories to others and encouraged their friends, neighbours, and colleagues to seek treatment.
In 2020, Abimuel was a student who worked part-time as a gold miner. One day he was pricked in the eye by a thorn. Soon after, he noticed his vision was beginning to change and was later diagnosed with a traumatic cataract.
From that moment, his life turned upside down. He struggled to read the books for his university course and found it increasingly difficult to work. Abimuel said his hopes for the future had to be put on hold while he waited for surgery.
After three years of living with poor vision, Abimuel was finally able to receive free cataract surgery at his local district hospital through the Light up Lives project.
Since the operation, Abimuel, now 27, says his “aspirations have been revived”. He has now completed his studies, found work, and even got married!
The project trained 1,146 health workers to ensure the sustainability of eye health services in the region. It also improved the accessibility of seven hospitals by adding features such as ramps, installing handrails, and purchasing wheelchairs.
The project partnered with award-winning NHS consultant, Dr Andrew Blaikie to train health workers to use the Arclight – a low-cost, portable device that can screen for a wide range of eye conditions, from cataracts to cancer. The Arclight has transformed how eye problems are detected in the province, and those trained through the project have gone on to train other healthcare workers across Zimbabwe.
CBM UK Chief Executive, Kirsty Smith OBE, said:
“The Light up Lives project has revolutionised the quality and accessibility of eye health services for some of the poorest people across the remotest parts of Midlands Province in Zimbabwe. By working with local civil society and government, the project has shown how sustainable change is possible – improving lives, strengthening communities, and building more inclusive health systems. This could not have happened without our incredible supporters, partners and the UK government who made this project possible.”
