Stories
The last mile: paving the way to eliminating river blindness in Mali
Since 1991, Sightsavers been helping Mali’s ministry of health to treat and prevent this blinding disease. Now the country is on track to banish it for good.
Captain Clean: teaching children about hygiene through games
Schools in Kenya, Ethiopia and Guinea are using educational board games to teach children about the importance of good hygiene to help eliminate trachoma.
Catching the urban mosquito: how our research protects communities from NTDs
To tackle disease, we need to know who is affected. In Liberia, Sightsavers has studied mosquitoes and tested children to see how urban migration affects the spread of lymphatic filariasis.
“I’m able to do things I couldn’t do before”
Salifat experienced painful swelling in her leg for a year before she was visited by a local health worker, who told her she had lymphatic filariasis and taught her to manage her symptoms.
“I feel good whenever I go to school”
Saio has a physical disability that affects her feet and makes walking difficult, meaning she was missing out on a lot of her education. A Sightsavers-supported inclusive education project has provided transport to take her to school and training for her teachers, which has made a huge difference.
“Now we can get the help we need”
In Pakistan and Bangladesh, the Right to Health project worked with transgender communities to remove the barriers they face when accessing inclusive eye health services.
The IT Bridge Academy: what’s next for students?
In Kenya, students who have been studying IT as part of a Sightsavers initiative are now looking ahead to their graduation, internships and future careers.
“Every day is women’s day when you cherish women’s dignity”
Asma is project manager for Sightsavers’ inclusive eye health project in Bangladesh, which is breaking down the barriers women face when accessing eye care services.
“Women can go further than they’re made to believe”
Pelagie is an entomologist who’s paving the way for more women to lead in the fight against neglected tropical diseases.
“As a woman, you’re always trying to prove that you belong”
Meet Dr Jalikatu, who’s the only female ophthalmologist in Sierra Leone and the head of the national eye care programme.
