News and Stories

Rukia was a happy and curious child who always followed her mother, Sophie. As she grew up, she became more helpful at home and learned many things.

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Then, one day, Rukia fell and hit her head on some rocks near their house. After that, she wasn’t the same. She became quiet and kept to herself, and her personality changed because the injury made her less confident. 

Sophie, her mother, was scared and worried about Rukia. She didn’t know what was wrong with her daughter or what to do.

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Later, at a wedding, Sophie met a friend who had cataract surgery at the eye center.

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Her friend said, “Your daughter seems to have trouble seeing. Would you like me to ask my friend who works at the eye center to come and look at her?”

It turned out that Rukia had hurt her eyes when she fell on the rocks, and this had developed into cataracts. Luckily, Sophie decided to take Rukia to Kwale Eye Centre, a hospital they worked with. There, Rukia had an operation and later had regular eye check-ups.

 

The picture shows a happier Rukia recovering from her surgery and looking forward to going home.

Little Saidi is the first person in Africa to be operated on for cataracts using the BIL (bag-in-the-lens) technique, and Kwale Eye Centre is the first eye clinic to adopt it.

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Ophthalmologist Nils-Erik Boonstra at Haukeland Hospital in Bergen, Norway helped develop this revolutionary technique, which reduces post-operative complications in cataract surgeries. He has shared his knowledge and instructed the eye surgery team at Kwale Eye Centre this week.

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Saidi had cataracts in both eyes and has now regained his sight. Hopefully, he will have a good, long, and sighted life.

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Forty-year-old Saidi Mohamed, a resident of the Tiwi area in Kwale County, enjoyed over a decade as a professional driver. Known for his dedication and conscientiousness, Saidi had a spotless driving record, earning his employer’s high regard. However, a silent threat began to cloud his world: his eyesight started to fail.

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Initially, Saidi kept his vision problems to himself, his demanding work schedule leaving no room for a hospital visit. He pressed on, unaware of the extent of the deterioration. His days began at 5:00 AM, navigating routes to transport passengers, a job he approached with pride and a commitment to excellent service. 

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One fateful day, while on duty, Saidi’s worsening vision nearly led to disaster. He failed to see an oncoming vehicle, and only the terrified screams of his passengers alerted him to the imminent head-on collision. His quick swerve averted a potentially fatal accident, but the near miss shook him deeply.

Frustrated and scared, Saidi made the difficult decision to resign from his driving job. For almost two years, he withdrew from the world, isolating himself at home. It was his mother’s persistent encouragement that finally persuaded him to seek medical attention.

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At the hospital, tests revealed the underlying cause of his struggles: diabetes. Later, attending an eye screening organized by the Kwale Eye Centre, he received a further diagnosis of cataracts in both eyes. Fortunately, surgery restored Saidi’s vision, bringing immense joy and gratitude. “Being dependent on others is very heartbreaking,” he shared, reflecting on his period of sight loss. With renewed vision, Saidi eagerly anticipates returning to work and providing for his family. The experience of feeling helpless and vulnerable without sight has instilled in him a deep empathy. He now passionately urges others facing similar issues: “Mapema ndio best” – earlier is better. Seek help promptly, he advises, before it’s too late.

Mwaka, a 61-year-old woman from the Lutsangani area of Kinanago in Kwale County, used to be a potter. She made cooking pots to sell for many years, but about two years ago, her failing eyesight stopped her from working.

 

She found out about Right to Sight when she went to the Lutsangani clinic for her eyes. They told her about an upcoming eye screening at the Kwale Eye Centre. Before her vision got bad, Mwaka’s typical day involved getting clay from the river, shaping it into pots, and then taking the finished pots to the market to sell. Losing her sight made this impossible. She couldn’t find good clay anymore, and designing pots was hard because customers wanted different things, and she couldn’t see well enough to meet their needs. There was no one to help her. Her youngest daughter took her to the eye screening. After the examination, doctors found she had cataracts. She had a successful operation, and her vision was completely restored. 

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For Mwaka, getting her sight back felt like a new beginning. She felt a mix of disbelief, fear, and excitement. Now, she’s happy to be able to do her pottery again, which is very different from how her life was two years ago.

She was thankful that the eye clinic helped her and saved her from going blind. She promised to tell others who are scared and hopeless because of cataracts that there is help available.

Hussein Ruwa (32) from the Mishomoroni area in Mombasa has experienced what it means to have your life completely changed in a short amount of time. Previously, he worked making beads and selling them, until one day he struggled to see what was in his hands. Yet, he didn't understand what it could be, as it didn't hurt and he didn't have any illnesses. Eventually, he lost his sight completely and has been blind since 2019.

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One day, Ruwa was given a tip about Kwale Eye Centre by someone who had received treatment there and noticed that Ruwa was struggling with his vision. Ruwa received the contact information for the eye clinic, but the challenge was how he would get there. He had no money for treatment now that he had been out of work for several years, and he didn't know anyone who could help him get there. When Ruwa explained this to the person who had told him about the eye clinic, that person called for help on his behalf.

Ruwa was then put in touch with one of Kwale Eye Centre's community workers, who arranged for him to attend an eye screening in the area at the Tiwi Rural Health Center. After this, he was transported to the hospital where he received financial support for a cataract operation.

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When he regained his sight, he was happier than ever before. He looked forward to being able to work again and felt that his life would now regain its meaning. Ruwa is grateful that Kwale Eye Centre and Right to Sight helped him get his sight back, even when he couldn't afford it.

When he returned for a routine check-up later, he had crafted various beaded items with the names of the people who operated on him.

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After his experience of regaining his sight, Ruwa believes that people shouldn't be afraid to seek help; because if fear had taken over him, he would still be blind today.

Such hospitals should be established in many other places in the county, so that people might not have to suffer for so long before receiving help.

At just 21 years old, Dzame Ruwa, a mother of two from Majoreni, Lungalunga Sub-County in Kwale County, has faced unimaginable hardship. Married at 15 after dropping out of school, she once worked alongside her husband on their small farm and took on various odd jobs to support their family. Life, though challenging, held a semblance of normalcy.

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Then, tragedy struck. Dzame’s husband passed away, and just two months later, her world began to blur. Over the course of two years, her vision steadily deteriorated, plunging her into complete darkness. “Things were at their worst,” she recalls. Unable to manage herself or her young children, and with life at her matrimonial home becoming unbearable, she reached out to her mother for help.

Her mother, desperate to find a cure, took Dzame to numerous traditional healers, but nothing worked. Frustration mounted as Dzame, a widow and mother herself, remained blind.

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Hope finally arrived through an unexpected source. Dzame’s mother, while seeking medical attention at Kidimu dispensary, learned about an upcoming eye screening outreach through posters displayed in the area. She immediately shared the news with Dzame.

Accompanied by her mother, Dzame attended the screening. The examination revealed bilateral cataracts, a condition that had stolen her sight. After years of fruitless searches for a cure, Dzame readily accepted the recommendation for surgery. 

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The operation was a success. Dzame could see again. With her vision restored, Dzame is filled with a renewed sense of purpose. She can now help her mother with farm work and, crucially, independently care for her children as their sole parent. She’s particularly grateful that what her family had previously doubted—conventional medicine—was ultimately what gave her back her sight. “For her, the future is bright if you have vision,” the text states, capturing her profound realization.

Dzame’s life has been completely transformed. She now passionately advocates for others with eye problems to seek help at health facilities rather than from traditional healers or magicians. As a happy mother with restored vision, she simply says, “Thank you, Right to Sight.”

Hamisi, at 10 years old, has had four eye surgeries to reduce the pressure in his eyes. Going forward, he will need guidance, especially at school, and must have glasses custom-made for his eyes. Unlike cataracts, glaucoma is a condition that requires lifelong follow-up with routine check-ups.

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Glaucoma is an eye disease where the pressure in the eyes is too high. Over time, the high pressure can damage the nerve fibers in the optic nerve, and when enough fibers are damaged, blind spots can appear in the visual field.

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Left untreated, the condition will eventually lead to blindness. At our partner hospital, Kwale Eye Centre, we have an entire department dedicated to vision therapy. This helps support those with imperfect vision so they can do the things they want to do.

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For children, much of the support involves finding the best possible way for them to see, enabling them to perform well in school. Through the Right to Sight Friends Association, we also support children with vision issues, helping them achieve a better future and the opportunity for an education.