These Are My New Glasses

Christian is a scholarship student taking AP classes in Corona, Queens. He is also extremely nearsighted and requires new prescription glasses almost every year, something his family cannot afford. Here, he shares how ChildSight® has given him[...]

Magic Diplomacy

Numerous children gathered closely, sitting and clapping during an indoor event.Howard Cohn is an American ophthalmologist with a specialty in glaucoma, and a strong interest in international ophthalmology and blindness prevention. Dr. Cohn has been instrumental in re-establishing a European branch of Helen Keller Intl dedicated to[...]

Fundamental Tools for Success

Multiple pairs of eyeglasses with different frame styles and colors neatly arranged in trays.Bisallia, pictured left, is in 5th grade and has never had glasses before, but has needed them since kindergarten. When we screened her in February 2014, her vision was 20/200 in both eyes. That means she could not read any of the letters below the large[...]

A Golden Opportunity for Helen Keller International

Optometrist uses autorefractor to check vision of young girl in clinic. Eye care professional performing eye exam with children waiting in background.Helen Keller International set up the first modern cataract center outside Hanoi and HCMC in Nam Dinh in 1994; an easy 4 hour drive South from Hanoi, where electricity was relatively reliable and there were already skilled[...]

The “Harry Potters”

Female teacher wearing glasses in patterned dress talking to student also wearing glassesThe "Harry Potters"In 1994, US Vision Program was launched in Washington Heights, NY.  The model of the program included core components such as visual acuity screening, vision assessment with licensed optometrist, and the provision of eyeglasses. [...]

Making the Blind to See

Six adults of various backgrounds stand in front of Helen Keller Tanzania officeOn my first trip to the field as a new Board member in 2008, we went to Singida, Tanzania, a full-day’s drive into the center of the country from Dar es Salaam, mostly down rutted dirt roads.  The hotel’s mosquito bed nets had big holes in them, the[...]

Life is an Exciting Business

Young girl undergoing lens fitting for eyeglasses.I’ve been working at Helen Keller International in the Operations department at headquarters since 2010, where my main responsibility has been making sure the office runs like a well-oiled machine on a day to day basis.  I’ve often wondered what[...]

Running in Honor of My Mom

Several runners wearing race bibs run along a shaded forest path surrounded by trees.Vision is easy to take for granted--at least that's true for me. I try to be intentional about recognizing the good in life and giving thanks, but so many things still escape notice. I'm glad I can see, but it was never any deeper than[...]

Sight Impacting Life

A large group of children gathered under a tree, smiling and waving at the camera.While on a field supervisory visit for the Hilton Trachoma Elimination Project, I entered the hut of a 5 year-old boy named Nazifi Aminou who had been referred as an “unsaveable case” by the local Chief Medical Officer at one of the health posts in the[...]

“Just Because He Can’t See Doesn’t Mean He Can’t Think”

Happy children smiling and posing closely together outside."Just Because He Can't See Doesn't Mean He Can't Think"I carried out a field visit to observe first-hand the work that the Helen Keller Intl Niger staff had been conducting. One of our Niger offices is located in Zinder – a large town some 895 kilometers[...]

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