Seeing is Believing

After successful launching of Save Sight Ahmedabad Campaign, the Project has launched an innovative campaign "Cataract Free Sabarkantha" campaign. This campaign shall focus upon bringing down prevalence of cataract in the district to the extent of 100 per 100,000 population which is accepted parameter as "Cataract Free Region". In other words, the campaign would ensure organizing eye camps in the whole district within a period of one year and performing eye surgeries of all those patients requiring the same. Very intensive efforts would be made to identify each and every person requiring eye check up.

The whole story begin with an enquiry from Mr. Rasik Shah and Mrs Kusum Shah Rasik residing in the USA. He desired to support an eye camp to be organized on 27th January, 2011 at Sathamba in the tribal distict of Sabarkantha. This camp was organized under the banner of MANAV SEVA MANDAL, SATHAMBA".  A very successful camp as the Project identified 92 persons and organized performing of surgery at Bareja. The success of this eye camp motivated Shah couple to become volunteers of our project and motivate other Non Resident Indians residing in the USA to extend support to this initiative.

Motivated from Shah couple, Mr Rasik Shah of Gabat, now residing in New York and his family members came forward to support a similar camp at Gabat, another village in Sabarkantha village which has sent a large number of NRIs to the USA. The success of this camp motivated Mr. Ramesh Shah, Mr. Vijay Shah and many other residents of Gabat to come forward and support this initiative.  With the success of a few camps in the district, the members decided to launch the campaign "Cataract Free Sabarkantha". To promote this campaign in a systematic manner, the group has formed a public charitable organization names as "Samata Vikas Charitable Trust".

All these volunteers and supporters organized a major camp on 12th January, 2014 which was attended by Mr. Ramesh Shah, all volunteers of earlier 12 camps, a large number of NRIs. The whole program was coordinated by Mr. Vijay Shah, a moving spirit behind the campaign. The Blind People's Association was represented by Dr. Bhushan Punani, Executive Director; Ms Nandini Rawal, Project Director; Mr. Dharmednra Jena, Manager, Bareja Eye Hospital and whole team of hospital. The SVCT also released the Annual Report for the year 2013 highlighting achievements of this campaign.

All the volunteers of 12 teams were honoured publically. During the function, it was pointed out the "Cataract Free Sabarkantha" should now be upgraded as "Cataract Free Gujarat". Most members present in the function appreciated the idea and desired to upgrade the campaign after target of "Cataract Free Sabarkantha"has been achieved.

Now, we request all those persons in supporting such innovative campaign to extent helping hand and donate US $ 30 through Global Giving for sponsoring each eye surgery.