Blindness
The Problem
Ethiopia has one of the highest rates of blind people per capita of any country in the world. 80% of this blindness is either preventable or treatable. Ethiopians do not have seeing-eye dogs. Instead, you will see small children slowly, quietly, and faithfully leading a blind person through the streets. These children have no opportunity to receive an education or even play with their friends.
A $60(USD) cataract surgery, which takes less than ten minutes to preform, can restore vision to a blind person. However, lack of access to healthcare and extreme poverty make this basic surgery unaffordable to many.
How We Help
THAF provides the funding and equipment needed to perform high volume cataract surgery and restore vision to those who can not afford medical care. This simple procedure results in the liberation of an indentured child who can then return to school, play with their friends, and live a normal happy life. In addition, the blind person can return to an independent and productive life. This lifts a huge economic burden from the family. We also treat many other eye diseases as well as provide simple reading glasses for those with poor vision.
Key Stats on Blindness in Ethiopia
~1.6% of Ethiopians are blind.
80% of those cases are treatable or preventable.
It only costs $60 to sponsor a cataract surgery.
A single surgery can lift an entire family out of poverty.
How You Can Help
THAF needs continued funding to be able to sponsor cataract surgeries in Ethiopia. These life-changing surgeries only cost $60 each and have a tremendous impact on the lives of each and every patient.
As with all THAF programs, 100% of your donation will go to helping the poor, not towards overhead.
To date we’ve sponsored over 25,000 cataract surgeries and counting!
Witness Your Donations in Action
Meet Dr. Samuel Bora, the only ophthalmologist for 3 million people in rural Western Ethiopia in The End of Blindness, an award winning documentary from AJ Martinson and Dr. Larry Thomas. Sponsored by THAF, Dr. Samuel's mission is to end treatable & preventable blindness in his country.
See the powerful impact your donations have had on the lives of thousands of Ethiopians as you journey with Dr. Samuel from Addis Ababa to the heart of the Ethiopian countryside as he performs up to 60 cataract surgeries a day for the blind poor in desperate need of sight.
Available now on Amazon Prime, iTunes, and on DVD or Blu-ray!
Donors: request a free DVD, Blu-ray, or streaming link by emailing [email protected]
Want to share the film with your organization? Request a free screening kit.
Witness More Incredible Stories
“I’ve completed over 20,000 surgeries, and Bontu’s case is the most satisfying case I’ve ever had.”
-Dr. Samuel Bora
Update: New Gondar University Team Completes 1,200+ Cataract Surgeries
In October 2022, THAF partnered with a team of ophthalmologists from Gondar University operating in the northern part of Ethiopia. Following Dr. Samuel’s mobile cataract unit approach, they conduct eye camps every three weeks throughout the Gondar region and, to date, have completed over 1,200 cataract surgeries.
THAF is excited that this new outreach will multiply Dr. Samuel’s work in a new underserved area, allowing thousands of people to regain their sight once again.
Update: THAF Completed 30,000 Cataract Surgeries by the end of 2024
As part of the cataract program, Larry Thomas set an enormous goal to complete 20,000 cataract surgeries by the year 2020, this was achieved
Thanks to the hard work of Dr. Samuel and his mobile cataract team! Unfortunately, Dr. Samuels work in the Oromia region had to be placed on hold due to safety-concerns related to the civil unrest and armed conflict in the region.
But the fight isn’t over, and THAF has forged new partnerships. In 2024 we also joined forces with the Cure Blindness Project and we are further expanding the work to end treatable and preventable blindness in Ethiopia for the thousands more who are unable to see. Our new goal is to exceed 45,000 cataract surgeries by the year 2030.
A note on cataract surgery pricing: Despite rampant inflation in Ethiopia, our cost of sponsoring each cataract surgery has only risen from $50/eye to $60/eye over the past 10 years! We firmly believe that sponsoring high-volume cataract surgery is one of the best investments we can make. Thank you for your continued support of this incredible project.