Unique stories to inspire everyone to #LOVEYOUREYES

Suzanna Marciel is 74 and lives in a remote riverside village in the Brazilian Amazon. To reach a recent GoodVision eye camp in the community of Palestine near Manacapuru, she boarded a bus, a boat for five hours, and then another bus, traveling the better part of a day to get there.

She came with a simple hope: to see clearly again.

Suzanna has 15 children, 54 grandchildren, and 8 great-grandchildren. For the past ten years, poor vision had kept her from sewing - an important part of how she supported her family. But at the outreach, she received her first pair of GoodVision Glasses.

With them, her vision and her independence were restored. She can sew again. She can earn again.

Her story isn’t just about the distance she traveled that day - it’s about the years she’s reclaimed, the self-reliance she’s regained, and the quiet power of possibility at any age.

Sometimes, a pair of glasses is more than a tool. It’s a return to purpose.

In the heart of Vila Nova Esperança, São Paulo’s “green favela,” Dalila shares a 10-square-meter home with her six siblings and parents. It’s a tight space, but it’s filled with resilience, and, now, new vision.

At a GoodVision eye camp, Dalila was diagnosed with severe myopia (-3.5 diopters). For too long, she had struggled to see the blackboard at school, missing out on lessons, details, and confidence. But that day, she left with a pair of individually fitted GoodVision Glasses and a new ability to learn with clarity.

Her story, though, is also deeply connected to someone else’s: her brother, Hobson. After school, Hobson worked at GoodVision, helping produce the very glasses that would one day change his sister’s life. With his wages, he began saving to study geography.

Dalila is proud of her brother not just because he made great glasses, but because he helped make a future.

In a place called “New Hope,” vision isn’t just restored -it’s passed forward, one sibling, one student, one dream at a time.

Optometry was introduced in India in the year 1958. I qualified in 1961 by way of a Diploma in Optometry qualification. I joined Sir Ganga Ram Hospital as Refractionist in 1962, and worked there for 30 long years. While in service, I studied for Bachelor in Ayurrvedic Medicine and PG Certificate in Rehabilitation qualifications and started the Optometry Today journal. Optometry Today now runs in 55th year of publication, and aims at improving people's eye care through better-informed eye care professionals.

“I felt sad that I couldn’t see anymore. I was jealous of the other kids who could.” At just 12 years old, Ariana’s world was slipping away. Living in Bulacan, Philippines, she struggled in school unable to keep up with classmates or enjoy playtime. Cataracts in both eyes had robbed her of learning, confidence, and connection. Her parents were devastated. They knew surgery was the only answer, but it was unaffordable. Then came hope. As part of Noor Dubai Foundation’s International Outreach Program, a free eye camp was held in Bulacan. A local basketball court turned into a temporary clinic where Ariana’s family brought her with cautious hope. Seeing how anxious she was, the medical team moved quickly, skipping the waitlist and escorting her straight to the operating room. “I didn’t know how she’d handle it,” her mother recalls. “She was so scared.” Just 30 minutes later, the surgeons announced the procedure was a success. Slowly, Ariana’s world came back into view colors and faces. She returned to school, confident and eager to learn and play again. That one surgery didn’t just restore her vision. It restored her childhood, her confidence, and her future.

During my MBBS studies in Somalia, I saw how preventable blindness was taking away people’s independence and limiting their future. In both rural areas and the capital, access to even the most basic eye care was almost non‑existent. People suffering from cataracts, corneal disease, glaucoma, diabetic eye disease and other avoidable causes of blindness were left untreated simply because the services, trained professionals and equipment they needed were not available. At that time, Somalia had no institution to train ophthalmologists, meaning anyone wishing to specialise had to leave the country. Determined to change this reality, I trained abroad, completing my ophthalmology residency in Belarus, cataract surgery training in Bangladesh, and now a cornea fellowship at Aravind Eye Hospital in India. In 2019, I founded Somali Eye Care, a non‑profit eye care organization working to create a strong, self‑sustaining eye care system in Somalia. Built on the belief that sight is the right of every person poor or rich Our system combines a hospital, an institute and outreach programs. We aim to make the full spectrum of services accessible to all, extend eye care to every community, remove barriers and build a skilled eye care workforce.

Arslaan was born prematurely and admitted to the NICU for over 1.5 months. His early life was filled with pain - tiny feet and hands pricked with needles, an oxygen pipe in his nose, and a battle for survival. On the day of discharge, we were informed of his diagnosis: Stage 4B Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP). That single moment changed everything. What followed were laser treatments, major surgeries, and years of follow-ups. Even in the face of discomfort and pain, Arslaan endured every procedure with quiet strength- the kind far beyond his years. That spirit of courage is what defined him. We named him Arslaan-a name that means “lion” - not for how loud he roared, but for how bravely he fought without ever giving up. Despite irreversible vision loss in his left eye, Arslaan continues to shine. He’s passionate about cricket, academically brilliant, and full of life. Inspired by his strength, I chose optometry - to bring awareness to conditions like ROP and the importance of early screening. This is more than a case — it’s a call to protect vision, act early, and believe in the resilience of even the tiniest lives.

Tefera Hiluf is a Neglected Tropical Diseases and Mass Drug Administration (MDA) expert at the Mekoni District Health Office in Tigray, Ethiopia. He works to eliminate trachoma — a preventable cause of blindness still affecting his community. His typical day begins early, often filled with travel to rural areas, community mobilisation, and overseeing house-to-house awareness raising and medicine distribution. “Although many think diseases like trachoma are a thing of the past, in reality, they are still affecting many people, particularly in remote areas,” Tefera says. “Helping to eliminate trachoma is not just about preventing a disease — it’s about preserving dignity, independence and opportunity”. Thanks to support from Light for the World, Tefera’s team has made remarkable progress: trachoma prevalence in the region has dropped from 40% to just 5%. The partnership has brought not only medicine but also education and training that ripples across the community. Tefera calls for support in the fight to eliminate trachoma in Ethiopia: “Donations are essential because they fund medication, awareness campaigns, training and WASH improvements, all of which are critical in tackling this disease effectively,” he says.

There's no mistaking it: The glasses bring double the joy - for mother and daughter! 6-year-old Adison Marianna Lezardas comes to the eye camp because she has difficulty reading from the blackboard at school. And that's right: during the eye test, the team from GoodVision found that both of her eyes were short-sighted and the first grader needed glasses. It is a huge help to her mother that the NGO provides glasses for children worldwide free of charge, as she would never have been able to afford glasses from an optician. Adison is also thrilled with her first pair of glasses and doesn't want to take them off, not even when playing soccer with her brother. And now at school, Adison can read everything from the blackboard without any difficulties.

Dr. Said Hussein Gedi, a Consultant Ophthalmologist, founded Community Eye Hospital in Mogadishu in 2017 due to the lack of dedicated eye care facilities, Senior lecturer, Somali National University. The hospital currently has 10 beds and performs 10 surgeries per week, though outreach programs significantly increase this number. Plans are underway to expand capacity to 50-100 beds with support from LCIF. Dr. Gedi has conducted over 20,000 cataract and ocular surgeries across Somalia, supported by organizations like MSF, Qatar Charity, Islamic Development Bank, and Charity Vision. He also serves as a senior lecturer at Somali National University and is the Technical Advisor for National Prevention of Blindness at the Ministry of Health, leading efforts to develop Somalia’s first national eye health strategic plan since 1991. A member of Lions Club Afgoye, Dr. Gedi has led school screening programs and initiatives for children with disabilities. He expresses gratitude to the Bavarian Lions Club for sponsoring four Somali ophthalmologists. Seeking to enhance eye care services, he hopes to establish a Sister Club partnership with Lions Club Germany or Bavarian Lions Club to expand Sight First programs, improve infrastructure, train eye health workers, and acquire advanced ophthalmic equipment.

In 2017, I made a decision that surprised many, after completing my optometry studies in Pakistan, I returned home to Somalia, a country grappling with insecurity and chronic underinvestment in healthcare. I could have pursued a comfortable career in the developed countries but instead chose to go where help was needed most. 
In 2018 i cofounded and still am the deputy Director of the only faculty of Optometry in South and central Somalia, where most of the country population resides.
In addition, I am the Project Manager of an organization called Charity Vision Somalia, most of the Fridays, I travels 30 kilometers outside the capital to run eye camps, providing checkups for villagers.
In the early 2000s, my grandmother was left aphakic after undergoing cataract surgery and forced to rely on thick +10.00 diopter that left bruises on her face. Her glasses were so heavy they left painful marks on her nose, I used to tell her that one day, I’d become an eye doctor and make things better for her. Although she passed away before I could finish my education, her struggle remains a powerful source of inspiration behind my mission to make eye care more accessible for everyone. 

I came from a poor family where education was out of reach—until a scholarship allowed me to study optometry and change my future. I worked tirelessly, day and night, to earn that opportunity, and it lit a fire in me—a fire to give back. I chose public eye health, not just optometry, to ensure those in need get the care they deserve. I will fight endlessly to make eye care a right, not a privilege! During my graduation, the university president, Dr. Hiam Sakr, spoke words that have never left me: 'Lebanon needs men to match its mountains.' Those words became my mission. My purpose was bigger than a career—it was about transforming lives through vision. With that calling, I founded the Vision Care Association to bring public eye health to the forefront. We work to make eye care accessible, build awareness on preventable blindness, advocate for policies that strengthen public health, and support research shaping the future of vision care. This journey has been filled with challenges, but my vision remains clear—where eye care knows no boundaries, and no one is left behind

In the heart of Ngqeleni, Eastern Cape, lies a community tucked deep within gravel roads and forgotten maps, a place where access to eye care is not just scarce, it’s nonexistent. There isn’t a single optometrist in the entire district. For many, the idea of having their vision tested was a distant dream until now. In honour of Youth Month, we journeyed over eight hours with a group of dedicated optometry students from the University of the Free State to bring this essential service to those who need it most. What we found was heartbreaking: a long queue of hopeful faces, the majority of them women, many elderly, who had never had an eye examination in their lives. Some had been living with blurry vision for years, unknowingly enduring conditions that could be helped. With nowhere else to go, they waited patiently, many in silence, many with gratitude for their first-ever eye test, done by our student volunteers and myself. This was not just a clinic; it was a moment of justice for a marginalised community. A glimpse of light, literally and figuratively, for those left behind. Their smiles afterwards said it all: someone finally came.

“To accept an idea that was never tested before is an indication of a great mind.” I first came across this sentence during my college days in Pakistan while preparing for my career in optometry. After graduating, I returned to Somalia and began working with a colleague who had a bold idea, establishing the first Faculty of Optometry in South and Central Somalia. At first, I rejected the idea, fearing the instability and security challenges Somalia faced. But then, I remembered that quote. If no one had tested this idea before, wasn’t that all the more reason to try? Determined, we approached universities, only to face rejection after rejection. Private institutions were hesitant, questioning whether students would even enroll in a program unfamiliar to the country. But we refused to give up. After persistent efforts, Aden Adde International University in Mogadishu gave us the opportunity in 2018. Today, the faculty has over 50 students and celebrated its first 11 graduates in 2024. What once seemed impossible is now shaping the future of eye care in Somalia. It all began with the courage to embrace an untested idea.

As a neurodevelopmental optometrist, I've dedicated my career to helping children with special needs achieve their full potential. But my journey to this specialization began with a chance encounter when I met a mother of a child with Down syndrome sharing the heartbreaking reality that many optical clinics turn away children with special needs, And able to set appointments to see ophthalmologists they receive rushed evaluation with little patience from them. This conversation sparked a fire within me. At that moment, I knew I can make a difference they deserved better. Driven by passion and purpose, I decided to make my optometry practice a safe, welcoming space where these children could receive the eyecare they deserved. Also, I allot minimum one hour for their eye evaluation. My experience has shown me that children with special needs require compassion, understanding, and patience. I've seen firsthand the impact that dedicated care can have on these children's lives. In sharing my story I am hoping for them to receive quality, patient-centered care and for the government to recognize the importance of tailored care and to work towards creating an inclusive, compassionate healthcare system.

My journey in eye health began with observing the inequalities in access to healthcare, especially for vulnerable communities. I saw how lack of access to eye care had a profound impact on people's quality of life and autonomy. This reality sparked a deep passion in me to fight for a more just and equitable healthcare system. My goal is to help build a world where everyone, regardless of their social condition, has access to quality eye care. I believe that health is a fundamental right and that through collaboration and innovation we can overcome the challenges that prevent universal access to healthcare. I am a passionate advocate for eye health and for the inclusion and autonomy of people with disabilities. I believe that health is a fundamental right and that through collaboration and innovation we can overcome the challenges that prevent universal access to healthcare.