HOW YOUR SUPPORT IS CHANGING LIVES
OCTOBER 2019
PHOTO: MARY TRAN
FAMILY GIVEN A BRIGHTER FUTURE
A MESSAGE FROM OUR CEO
Anyone anywhere can now
STEP UP FOR SIGHT
The Fred Hollows Foundation is again partnering with the southern hemisphere’s highest public residential tower for the 12th annual Eureka Stair Climb but we’ve added a brand new event, the Virtual Eureka Stair Climb. The virtual climb enables anyone in Australia to “climb” the 1,642 steps of the iconic Eureka Tower any time from World Sight Day on 10 October to 17 November, when the “live” Eureka climb takes place. You can do it incrementally over five weeks or all at once by using stairs wherever you are – at the gym, the beach or your office.
This time each year, as Christmas approaches, we start to reflect on what we’ve achieved and think about what the new year will bring. For The Fred Hollows Foundation, 2019 saw us complete our previous five-year plan and launch into our new 20192023 Strategy. The raw numbers of The Foundation’s achievements during our last strategy are astounding. Since 2014, working with our partners here and around the world, we have seen: 20.5 million people screened; 3.6 million eye operations and treatments; 77 million people treated with antibiotics for trachoma; 303,000 people trained; and 4,300 medical facilities built, renovated or equipped. While we reflect on those impressive statistics, what is more important is that every number represents an individual whose life has been changed, whose sight has been restored or saved, or who has been trained to help others receive world-class eye care. I hope that makes you feel extremely proud, because none of this would be possible without our incredibly generous supporters, like you. While there are many different reasons people choose to support our work, there is almost a universal message that people tell me – they believe in Fred Hollows’ vision of a world in which no person is needlessly blind. That’s what drives us. As you turn your attention to Christmas we hope you’ll keep The Foundation in your mind and consider helping out with a donation or by giving a loved one a Gift of Sight card. (Details about Gift of Sight are on the back of this magazine.) From The Foundation family we wish you and your loved ones a safe and prosperous Christmas and good health for 2020.
And, you don’t actually need to stop at 1,642 steps. You can go on to climb the equivalent of iconic landmarks like the Burj Khalifa or keep going to Mt Everest! So, whether you are at Eureka Tower on November 17 or keen to participate at your own pace, you can Step Up to Restore Sight. Go to www.eurekastairclimb.org for more details.
NOT YOUR AVERAGE FUNDRAISER According to Mike Toner: “We set out to do things differently right from the start. From the music, to friendships and fundraisers, at Thick as Thieves we believe in doing our bit to raise the vibe.” And raise the vibe, he most certainly has. Since 2010, Mike and his team have organised 48 events featuring local and international DJs and have now raised more than $700,000 to support The Foundation. At Mike’s request, artists donate their cover charges for their events and Mike inspires the audience and a new generation of supporters by promoting the work of The Foundation. We can’t thank you enough Mike!
Ian Wishart CEO
THE FRED HOLLOWS FOUNDATION FRED’S VISION OCT 2019
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PHOTOS: MARK MAINA
TWO YEARS LATER TIMOTHY’S THRIVING When The Fred Hollows Foundation first met Timothy in 2017, he was on a path to complete blindness. The nine-year-old from Kenya was shy, withdrawn and anxious. At school, he struggled to see the blackboard, standing under the feet of his teacher to try to read the notes. It was also a race against time. Childhood cataract must be treated urgently because it can lead to irreversible blindness, even if help becomes available later in life. Brain development is usually complete around 10 years of age. During this developmental phase, the brain learns to process visual stimuli. If a child has poor vision throughout their childhood, their brain might never learn how to process stimuli.
PHOTOS: MICHAEL AMENDOLIA
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Thankfully for Timothy, help arrived just in time. He was diagnosed by a nurse trained by The Foundation. Timothy was then referred to a surgeon who was also trained by The Foundation. Two years later, an employee from our Kenya office visited Timothy’s school to find a confident and happy Year 4 student sharing a light-hearted moment with class mates. “Where are my friends who took pictures of me?” he said. “I want to say thank you to them since now I can see well unlike before.” Timothy and his family are so grateful to The Foundation’s supporters for giving him a brighter future.
FAMILY SEES A BETTER FUTURE
THE FRED HOLLOWS FOUNDATION FRED’S VISION OCT 2019
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FEATURE |
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Porlee and his children Shoua and Blong live in a small, remote village in Lao PDR. Life is hard for local villagers, but for Porlee it’s been especially tough as both his children were born with cataract. Porlee takes care of the children and works hard as a farmer, where he earns just enough money to get by. “Our life was so difficult. I had no idea what to do,” Porlee says. “My children don’t go to school. My daughter went but another student would hit her. She was scared and wouldn’t go back.” The family heard about a Fred Hollows Foundation outreach eye camp where Porlee discovered there was help for his children. He immediately packed their bags for an eight-hour journey to meet the eye surgeon, Dr Phetsamone. At the Provincial Hospital, Dr Phetsamone examined the children and confirmed they had cataract. He also examined Porlee and his suspicions were confirmed - Porlee also had cataract in both eyes. “This is a very important case,” Dr Phetsamone said. “The father and both his children have cataract. He is a single parent, his wife has left him and the children. I will operate, but I will only do five eyes. I will only operate on one eye for the father. He needs to look after his children so I can’t have both eyes bandaged.” As the family go in for surgery Porlee is excited. “I’m not worried. Just happy that the doctor could help me and my kids for the eye treatment.” After about an hour, the surgeries are complete. The next morning, one by one, Dr Phetsamone removes all five eye patches. The whole family is overjoyed.
PHOTOS: MARY TRAN
The children take some time to adjust to their surroundings, but Porlee is happy that his children can now see clearly. He knows their futures will be much brighter and the children can now go to school.
“OUR LIFE WAS SO DIFFICULT. I HAD NO IDEA WHAT TO DO,” PORLEE SAYS.
SAVING MIHI’S SIGHT SAVED HER FAMILY’S FUTURE When 50-year-old Mihi Bali noticed her vision becoming blurry, she was worried.
need to be and face greater barriers seeking the treatment they need.
Her deteriorating eyesight made it difficult to pick cotton and her employers weren’t happy with her work.
That’s why The Fred Hollows Foundation has launched She Sees to close the gender gap in vision.
In 2010, floods claimed the life of Mihi’s husband, leaving the mother-of-six the only breadwinner for the family who live near Hyderabad in Pakistan.
In Pakistan, this is being achieved through a range of programs, including Lady Health Workers who go door-todoor to help vulnerable women and children.
As her sight failed Mihi felt she had no choice but to stop working, plunging the family into severe financial hardship.
Fortunately for Mihi, a Lady Health Worker was able to check her eyes and refer her to hospital where she received free cataract surgery under a project delivered by The Foundation with the support of our generous donors and the Australian NGO Cooperation Program.
While Mihi’s eldest son started work, his income was barely enough to meet the family’s expenses – or support a visit to an eye specialist.
“I can’t wait to go home and see my children with a normal vision and I am happy now that I will start working as an agricultural workers to increase my family income,” Mihi said.
PHOTO: NASEER JAN
Mihi risked becoming another statistic. Some 20 million women in the world are blind. However, four out of five don’t
THE FRED HOLLOWS FOUNDATION FRED’S VISION OCT 2019
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NEW PLAN TO CLOSE THE EYE HEALTH GAP
PHOTOS: MARY TRAN
PHOTO: DANIEL JESUS VIGNOLLI
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The Fred Hollows Foundation has committed its biggest ever investment to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander eye health with the launch of its new Indigenous Australia Program Five Year Country Plan. The plan focuses on how we can finally close the gap in eye health for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, who are still three times more likely to be blind than other Australians and waiting on average 40 percent longer for cataract surgery. The Foundation will spend at least $40 million over the next five years as part of the plan. The good news is closing the gap is within reach – more than 90 percent of blindness and vision loss experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults is
preventable or can be treated. And we’ve made good progress over the past decade, halving the eye health gap. But there’s much more to do. The Foundation will be working with Aboriginal CommunityControlled Health Services to ensure they are at the heart of our work, advocating to get more Aboriginal people in eye health jobs and scaling-up services to meet demand. We are also calling on the Australian Government to fund Strong Eyes, Strong Communities, the national plan for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander eye health. In 2018, The Fred Hollows Foundation contributed to more than 1,000 cataract surgeries for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and doubled the number of cataract surgeries in the Katherine region of the Northern Territory.
YES, I WILL MAKE A DONATION TO RESTORE SIGHT AND PREVENT BLINDNESS. STEP 1: MY REGULAR MONTHLY DONATION Many of our supporters find it easier to make monthly donations to The Foundation. YES, I would like to make a monthly donation of:
o $25 o $50 o $75 o My choice (minimum $15 per month) $ I will make my monthly donation by:
o Credit card or o Direct debit (form will be forwarded). AND/OR MY SINGLE DONATION
This Christmas you can make a difference by giving a Gift of Sight card from The Fred Hollows Foundation. Starting from just $25 our Gift of Sight cards feature beautiful images and inspirational stories from the field. It’s easy to order. Select a card and personalise it with your own message. Cards can be delivered to you or direct to your loved one, via post or email.
YES, I would like to make a single gift of $25 o $50 o $100 o $200 o My choice $ o Cheque/Money order enclosed made out to o
GIVE THE GIFT OF SIGHT
The Fred Hollows Foundation
Debit my Credit card: o o Visa o MasterCard o AMEX o Diners Card no __ __ __ __ / __ __ __ __ / __ __ __ __ / __ __ __ __ Expiry date __ __ /__ __ __ __
Order a printed card or an eCard today and help Fred’s work live on. Browse online now at www.hollows.org/au/gift-cards
4 EASY WAYS FOR YOU TO DONATE ONLINE
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o Please send me details on making a gift to The Foundation in my Will Donations of $2 and over are tax-deductible in Australia. Personal information is collected to process donations, issue tax receipts and send updates about our work. Our privacy policy is available at www.hollows.org/privacy-and-security and outlines how you can access or correct your personal information, who we disclose it to, and how we store it. If you wish to opt out of or change the frequency of updates you receive from us, please contact us via the details below. The Fred Hollows Foundation, Locked Bag 5021,Alexandria NSW 2015, email donations@hollows.org or call 1800 352 352.
Donations to The Fred Hollows Foundation are used to support our programs in Australia and overseas. The information contained in this publication is accurate at the time of printing. For more information contact fhf@hollows.org Fred’s Vision Magazine © 2017 is a publication of The Fred Hollows Foundation ABN 46 070 556 642. The Fred Hollows Foundation works for a world where no one is needlessly blind and Indigenous Australians enjoy the same health and life expectancy as other Australians. This publication may contain images of persons who have passed away. The Fred Hollows Foundation would like to acknowledge these persons and pay our respects to them and their families.