Our Mission
Cataracts are Curable are on a mission to cure cataracts in the Gambia. Our team previously worked on a cataract project in partnership with The Friends of The Gambia Association (FoTGA), a charity which runs a sponsorship scheme for the education of the poorest children. Cataracts are Curable are a new, cataract specific, charity and aim to fund cataract operations for the very poorest Gambians.
Medical care is not free in The Gambia, and for the poorest people the cost of the operation plus the cost of travel, food and lodging to attend a hospital is totally beyond their means. We provide the funds to enable the surgeons to go to the patients and perform operations that can vastly improve quality of life and job prospects. The work we do means that patients can continue to work to support their families whilst lead a fulfilling and manageable life.
What we do
Through donations, Cataracts are Curable are able to set up and run Cataract Camps in some of the poorest areas of The Gambia.
The camps occur only when funds are available to the National Eye Health Programme (NEHP), based at the Sheikh Zayed Regional Eye Care Centre in Kanifing. The NEHP arrange for a surgical team to go to one of the health outposts, usually located away from the tourist areas to perform life changing cataract operations. It is our mission to provide that team with the necessary funds and equipment to hold these “up country” clinics.
In preparation, a small team travel to the area and advertise for patients to come forward. The patients are screened, and up to fifty are chosen to receive the operation.
The operations are usually carried out over three days. The patients often have to walk many miles to attend, and because they cannot see, they must be accompanied. Some may stay overnight if the journey back is difficult and in these cases, they are provided with a meal.
A week later a post-operative clinic is held; the patients are re-assessed and issued with medication. They are then able to resume their lives returning to their jobs and supporting their children through education.
"The work that FoTGA and the Cataracts are Curable team have done with the people of The Gamiba is incredible. It is not just beneficial to individuals, but to whole families, allowing adults to go out and work to support their families and pay for education. An operation only costs around £40, but this is an impossible amount to the poorest Gambians. An operation doesnt just changes one life, it changes the life of an entire family”
— Donovan Mafnas, Impact Volunteer
HOW TO HELP
Cataracts are Curable rely on donations from the public to continue the work they are doing. A single operation and follow up care costs just £40. Our Gambian medical team donate their time and expertise for free, and we rely on kit donations (slit lamps etc) from UK based opticians and optometrists in order to carry out the screenings and treatment. Our UK fundraising team travel around the UK giving talks and presentations about the importance of the work that we do, and give their time for free. Every penny that we receive goes directly to funding operations for the people that need them most.
If you would like to help us with the work we do, if you are an optician who can help us source vital kit or if you are a volunteer who would like to help us spread the message, please get in touch on the Get Involved page.
Alternatively, you can give just £40 to save someones eyesight and provide them and their family with a bright and promising future by donating now.