Afiz is the youngest boy of five children living with his parents Aisha and Edirisa in the capital city of Uganda, Kampala. You see in less developed countries people are more likely to be disabled than those in wealthy parts of the world, often due to a lack of access to healthcare. Every day, women, men and children in these communities go blind because of diseases or conditions that could have been avoided. Many babies like Afiz are born with cataracts which are the leading cause of treatable blindness worldwide.

At 7 months old, Afiz couldn’t sit up or even raise his head - his neck couldn’t support it. He never laughed or smiled. Aisha knew something wasn’t right. She felt like no one understood her pain. Most people asked out of curiosity. No one wanted to help. Aisha eventually realised that Afiz couldn’t see. But that knowledge still hurt. Because she didn’t have the money to help him.

When you think of the enormous difference between a life with sight and one in the darkness, you know that we must do all we can for little ones like Afiz. For a loving mother like Aisha, knowing her son would go through life without seeing – especially when a simple operation could restore his sight – was heartbreaking. Too many mothers face the awful realisation that they can’t help their children. But if you help, they don’t have to. Your kindness could forever bring light and hope to so many children like Afiz who need you.

You may think of cataracts as an eye disease that occurs in old age. In developing countries, however, there are many children already suffering from them. Without treatment, these children will become blind. Cataract surgery removes the lens and, in most cases, replaces it with an artificial lens. The surgery isn’t complicated. But for too many, it’s too expensive.

That’s the difference your generosity makes. You close the gap between a treatable condition and a life without sight.

Thank you