To see clearly

My grandma with my mum on her 85th birthday

My grandma is 87 and she has just had cataract surgery.  Before the operation she was terrified, and she had never realised how bad her sight had got.

Two days after the surgery, when my mum arrived at the house, my grandma was in tears.  Why?  Because she could see colours properly again.

Cataract surgery is so simple, and yet so lifechanging.  Not just for my grandma, but for people all over the world.  The charity Sightsavers performed over a quarter of a million cataract operations in 2010 alone.  For people in poor countries, cataract surgery doesnt just mean they get to cry with joy because they can see clearly.  It means they can work, care for their families, get an education, have a chance at life.

I am a firm believer in maximising the impact of charitable donations.  This is not to devalue the work of charities like cancer research (my mum wouldnt be here without them!) - but in a world with so much suffering I think the only remotely logical choice is to give in a way which maximises the number of people who will be helped, in the largest possible way, for the smallest amount of investment.  

To me, charities like Sightsavers represent one of these "best options".  Cataract surgery costs so little, and it changes an entire family's life forever.

Yay for my grandma's sight being restored to her!