Medication to Treat and Prevent Blindness

Eight-year-old Mentesnot lives in a small rural community in southern Ethiopia. A bright and sociable boy, he loves playing football with his friends and dreams of becoming a teacher one day.

But for years, that dream has been clouded by trachoma — a painful, infectious eye disease that causes irritation, vision loss, and even blindness if left untreated. When the pain flares up, Mentesnot struggles to see clearly, read his lessons, or join in games with his friends.

Mentesnot’s mother, Meseret, knows his pain all too well. She too suffered from trachoma and feared her son would face the same future of discomfort and lost opportunities.

With help from Orbis, Mentesnot has received the treatment he needs - a spimple dose of antibiotics - to protect his sight. Orbis community health teams are also teaching families like Meseret’s how to prevent infection and care for their eyes.

Meseret says, "I am truly grateful. Thank you to everyone who has supported us."

Because of you, children like Mentesnot are seeing the world more clearly and rediscovering the joy of learning, playing, and dreaming about the future. Your support is helping to build a future where no child loses their sight to a preventable disease. Every treatment, every training session, and every moment of restored vision brings us closer to eliminating trachoma — for good. Thank you!

Every parent dreams of a bright future for their children—but in Ethiopia, that hope is often under threat from trachoma, a painful eye infection that can lead to blindness. For countless families, this preventable disease steals not just sight, but independence, education, and opportunity.

With access to simple antibiotics and essential care, trachoma can be treated—and even eliminated—for good. At Orbis, we’re working to empower mothers and protect futures by bringing sight-saving treatment, clean water access, and health education to rural communities in Ethiopia.

Seble, a mother of three - Wondimu (aged 5), Zenash (aged 4), and Rabiet (aged 2)- from a small village near Durame town, faces similar challenges. Her husband, Abraham, works as a farmer, but the family’s food supply barely covers their needs, let alone the cost of medical care.

When Seble noticed her children’s eyes streaming, itching, and becoming painful, she knew something was wrong. “I saw the discharge, and they stopped playing outside because the light hurt their eyes,” Seble recalls. "I’m so afraid my children will go blind one day. I have seen older members of our community who are blind, and I don't want my children to face the same fate."

Without money for soap or a clinic visit, Seble feared the worst. However, an Orbis-trained health worker named Aster visited the village, providing much-needed screening and treatment for active trachoma. She diagnosed the family with active trachoma infections and provided them with free antibiotics.

“We are relieved to have the antibiotics,” Seble says. “I will continue to teach my children about the importance of hygiene and cleanliness. I am so thankful for the chance to protect their eyesight.”

None of this would be possible without the generosity of individuals like you. Thank you for your donations, for supporting Orbis, and for helping change someone’s life.