Nanyako is a widow who has two children and 10 grandchildren. She was treated as part of the first advanced trachoma surgery outreach three years ago.

“I don’t remember how long ago I had the surgery for my eye disease, but I have fully recovered my sight now.

“I prepare and sell tobacco, but before the eye surgery I could not do it. Before the surgery, my eyes itched a lot, and I couldn’t get the tobacco out. I was scratching my eyes all the time and my left eye was hurting more than my right eye.

“I accepted the treatment because I was in so much pain. It was through a local case-finder that I learned about this opportunity. He came to our house and informed us that my eye disease could be treated and that I could be cured.

“After the surgery, all the pain was gone – it was like a miracle. With my eyes in good condition, I manage my business and my profits myself. Since last year I don’t have enough strength to sell the tobacco anymore, so I get help from my granddaughters.

“You can see my composure: I dance, and I am very happy. I ask everyone to go to the hospital for any health problem because it is there that they saved my eyes. I am very happy thinking that the next generation will not suffer from this disease.”

Click to tweet about Nanyako’s story of recovering from trachoma 

Maurice is the ‘focal point’ for neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) for the Tchaourou health zone in Benin.

“In the role of NTD focal point, I work in collaboration with the national programme of control of communicable diseases. I am in charge of all activities concerning NTDs in my health area.

“What really motivated me was that when I began working, I didn’t even know that a disease like trachoma still existed. I heard about it during my training but I didn’t know what it was really about and it was during the screenings that I saw a lot of people suffering from it.

“I knew about trachoma theoretically but not in depth. It was with the Accelerate surgery outreach programme that I really learned what it was all about. The surgery outreaches have improved my knowledge about trachoma.

“I treated a woman whose eyelids were touching her eye and she was suffering. She could not go about her business and this brought sadness to the family, but after the surgery she resumed her activities normally. She is so pleased; it is because of this programme that we found out about her.

“What has struck me the most is the recognition and gratefulness of the patients; this moral satisfaction that we have saved lives.

“In all our community-based activities we always talk about trachoma. We remind people that it is a disease that has existed, and it is thanks to the intervention of projects like Accelerate that it has come to an end. It is important that they maintain these achievements for the development of the country.”