“I would like to be a teacher in the future. And I will teach Swahili as a subject because I like it.” Emmanuel says with a smile.

Today, because of the generosity of our supporters that provided a life changing intervention, that dream is possible for Emmanuel, but that was not always the case. For two years, Emmanuel struggled to read the blackboard in his primary (elementary) school.

“I could not see what was written on the board and sometimes I could feel pain in my left eye,” he remembers. “I communicated this to the teacher. She told me she would one day take me to the hospital. My parents and my siblings noticed that I was developing this big white spot on my left eye which was increasing little by little. My fellow students asked me what it was but I had no answer because I did not know what it was.”

In October, Emmanuel’s teacher arranged for the boy and his brother to travel to CCBRT for treatment. Upon their arrival, Emmanuel was diagnosed with developmental cataract. He was scheduled for surgery the very next day.

His brother shared, “Emmanuel was a little bit afraid before going into the theater (operating room) for surgery but we are both so happy the surgery went well. I believe he will perform better in class after this surgery. Before, his handwriting was so disorganized and at times I would compare what his fellow students had written in class and what he had written and it was clear to me that he could not see very well. I believe he will do better now.”

As he sat in recovery, Emmanuel remembered his sight before the surgery “I could not see clearly; it was a bit cloudy’’. With a very wide smile he says, ‘’I am happy now my sight has improved. I can see very clearly.”

This is the impact your generosity has for one person living with a correctable disability in Tanzania. Each year, with your support and the support of our partners, CCBRT touches the lives of over 1 million Tanzanians a year. Thank you for being a part of Emmanuel’s journey, and the journeys of so many others.