See My Future: You've helped raise £1.39 million to save sight!

The money matched by the UK government will help expand Orbis's childhood blindness project in Nepal. Over three years, the project – known as REACH (Refractive Error Among Children) - will screen over 300,000 children like Kisan and Shashant (pictured above) and, where needed, treat them for visual impairments. This will allow them to participate fully in education and completely change their lives.

All public donations from our wonderful supporters will help support our vital sight saving work, wherever it is needed most

International Development Secretary Alok Sharma said:

“In many parts of the world, avoidable sight loss forces children to drop out of school. A lack of sight can mean a lack of education.

“I am delighted that the UK government has matched £652,425 of public donations to the Orbis’s See My Future appeal, helping to reach a fantastic total of more than £1.3 million. By providing basic eye-care, this money will help give a future to more than 300,000 children across Nepal, shaping brighter futures and ultimately breaking the cycle of poverty.”

Your support will help adults and children all over the world, including helping expand the REACH project into two new districts in Nepal later this year. The project will ensure that children who live in these districts, as well as their teachers, parents and community health volunteers, will all have increased knowledge of eye health issues, helping them spot the signs and symptoms and know when to seek help. Hospital eye care teams will also be provided with the resources they need to deliver these services, ensuring that the eye health of the community is preserved long after the project ends.

Orbis UK CEO Rebecca Cronin said:

“Clear vision opens up a world of possibilities – allowing adults to return to work, and children to return to school and contribute to society. Thank you to every single person who contributed to the success of See My Future, and to the UK government for helping us to have twice the impact.”