Seeing Her Smile and Her Dreams Come to Life

Three-year-old Yvette, who lives in northern Burundi, struggled to see. Her mother worried about her daughter’s happiness and future opportunities. Burundi, a lowincome country in East Africa, has only 16 ophthalmologists to treat a population of almost 12 million people.

Yvette’s mother finally found a doctor to examine her daughter’s eyes and was relieved when told it was just allergies. That respite was short-lived when the medicine provided didn’t help Yvette’s vision. Using the little money the family had earned from farming, Yvette’s mother took her daughter to several hospitals hoping to find a treatment. Unfortunately, the hospitals didn’t have an ophthalmologist.

When Yvette was old enough to go to school, her mother’s fears for her future increased. Yvette couldn’t s ee clearly enough to follow the lessons or read her textbooks. She was forced to drop out of school and became isolated and depressed. Yvette rarely smiled.

“Unfortunately, without locally available eye care services, children in low-income countries, just like Yvette, often don’t get the care they need and deserve. Poor vision can result in children dropping out of or performing badly in school, social exclusion, violence and bullying; ultimately limiting their future socio-economic potential. That’s why Seva Canada donors fund eye screenings, glasses and surgeries for thousands of children in low-income countries each year. These children are our collective future and when they can see and succeed, we all succeed,” said Penny Lyons, Executive Director of Seva Canada (seva.ca).

With little hope remaining, the now eight-year-old Yvette and her mother made the treacherous and long trip to Bujumbura, the capital city of Burundi. There they visited the CTSOE (Tertiary Child Eye Health Center), the only hospital in Burundi capable of treating children with severe visual impairment and blindness. At the CTSOE, Yvette was examined by the ophthalmologist who diagnosed her with cataract. Thanks to the generosity of Seva Canada donors, Yvette’s sightrestoring surgery was free of charge. Yvette’s mother couldn’t contain her excitement and relief! “I am happy she can smile now. She will be able to go back to school and follow along in class! She can follow her dreams!”