Cataract is a common condition which affects the eyesight. It simply means a blurring of the lens in the eye, which can be helped with a relatively easy operation. Once the blurry lens in the affected eye is replaced by a clear new lens, people can fully regain their eyesight! A lot of people in rural areas don’t know they can be helped, they will simply take their loss of eyesight for granted as a problem of advanced age. By the time they reach the hospital because they are completely blind, they are being told the next available date to be seen by the specialist eye doctor in the referral hospital is more than a year away. The referral hospital is overcrowded with a shortage of eye-specialists. People lack financial capital to travel to far off specialists not even considering to be able to afford them.

To identify people in lower Ngqeleni district whose sight are affected by cataracts and have the cataracts removed so that they can see clearly again.

People from the local communities participate by helping to identify potential clients. Home Based Care and Support Groups participate to identify patients.

People lack financial capital to come to Canzibe to seek for assistance. Making use of the HBC groups these people could be assisted and provided with a stipend for transport.