Light up Lives with us - your sight-saving gift doubled!

Today, we’re launching our Light up Lives appeal to help restore sight and improve access to sight-saving treatment.  And thanks to a group of generous CBM friends, every £1 you donate will be doubled!

Every day, people living in the world’s poorest places become needlessly blind because of conditions that could be easily treated, like cataracts. And too often, if you live in a poor community, losing your sight also means losing the chance to go to school, live independently or earn a living. For those living on the edge, the impact is devastating – whole families pushed deeper into poverty and hunger. 

Your support towards our Light up Lives appeal will enable people with treatable blindness in the world’s poorest places to see again through sight-restoring surgery, eye treatments and glasses. For every £1 you donate before 28 April, a group of generous funders will give £1 to support sight-saving work in Nigeria and Zimbabwe and other programmes supporting people living in poverty.

Kirsty Smith, CBM’s Chief Executive, said: “Shockingly, 3 out of 4 people who are blind, don’t need to be. Many of the conditions that cause blindness can be easily treated or prevented, but conditions like cataracts – one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide  – can be treated with an operation that can cost just £24 and take as little as 15 minutes. Devastatingly for millions of people who are living in the world’s poorest places, this treatment is simply out of reach. Our Light up Lives appeal aims to reach those people who are living needlessly blind, but are unable to access the surgery or treatment that could save their sight. We are so grateful for the group of generous CBM funders, who have committed to double donations towards this appeal, helping us to reach even more people with sight-saving surgery and treatment.”

Your support will help restore sight and Light up Lives in the world’s poorest places by:

• improving access to sight-restoring cataract surgery and treatment for blinding conditions like glaucoma.
• reaching people at risk of blindness in remote areas, far from the nearest eye hospital, helping them access treatment before it is too late.
• providing glasses and support to people with low vision so they can go to school, earn a living and be active in their communities.
• equipping hospitals, training local staff and partnering with local organisations to strengthen eye health systems to ensure the maximum long-term benefit.

To find out more about our Light Up Lives campaign or to donate, visit www.lightuplives.net (open link in new tab) or phone 0800 567 7000.

 Picture: Three months after cataract surgery, Whitney (8) who had spent half her life needlessly blind, has returned to CBM-supported hospital in Uganda for a follow up eye test.