Eyecare is so important in underdeveloped nations. Cataracts are the leading cause of blinding in the entire world. Cataract surgery is a 15–20-minute procedure that yields an immediate cure. Corneal blindness is the second leading cause of blindness in Mali. Our foundation has been working with the Malian government to open West Africa’s very first Eye Bank. An Eye Bank recovers cornea tissue from deceased donors and supplies that tissue to a surgeon to transplant into a patient in need. Mali is a dry, dusty country and food is mostly cooked over open fires. Dust and smoke cause severe dry eye, abundance of work in fields can lead to eye injuries, and both can lead to the growth of cataracts at a much younger age than normal. Mali has less than 75 eye doctors for its entire population of 24,000,000 making it very difficult, if not impossible, to receive eye care. Help us take eye care to remote villages by donating surgery, glasses, or eye drops. These surgeries can literally cure blindness.
