Losing your sight can be terrifying. But for women who are taking care of their children in Kalma Refugee Camp, it can also mean putting the entire family at risk. Many women in Kalma are breadwinners in their family. They have the triple role of taking care of their children, their extended family members, and making sure there’s food on the table. Cataracts are common in Kalma Camp, but access to surgery is not. As you may imagine, losing their sight can have ripple effects that go far beyond these superhero women. Most families can’t afford to pay for the simple surgery that could fix their problem. So we’re fixing it for them. For today, we honed in our efforts on two moms and one dad – Asha, Kaltoum, and Adam. “I have one son whom it has been a long time since I could see his face well,” said Asha. “Today, I open my eyes to see him clearly. I see my two sons – Musa and Gabriel whom I consider a gift from you.” It was a quick fix, at relatively low cost. But … [Read more...] about Seeing Clearly

For the next couple of days we’re spending time with the people of Kalma Camp in South Darfur. These communities don’t have a whole lot of support, they do a lot with a little. But for people who face extra challenges – like a physical disability – hurdles in Kalma can morph into mountains. There are a lot of kids in Kalma who face physical challenges. But, it’s so important that they continue to socialize with their peers, go to school, and get around the camp with ease. Our teams wanted to do something to help. So they sat down with people in the community and came up with a plan for three children – kids who, despite the obstacles, are working hard toward a bright future. What do these kids need most? Wheelchairs. Abdulsalam, age 9, Mojahed, age 14, and Izaedin, age 16, all got new wheelchairs – tools they can use to get where they need to go. And the kids weren’t the only ones over the moon about these gifts. “Izaedin loves education and he is very good, but it … [Read more...] about A New Beginning