More than 26 million children and adults in Africa are living with some form of visual impairment. As many as 15 percent of these experience vision loss because of common refractive errors, such as near-sightedness or astigmatism, which can be corrected with[...]
Living with childhood cataracts meant that 10-year-old Ulrich Amassoga had never experienced clear vision before. He had difficulty in school and dealt with bullying from classmates because of his condition. Two years ago, Helen Keller began providing[...]
By the time she was six years old, Treasure Winner Mafau Azemafack’s family had already fled violence three times. Originally from Fontem in Cameroon’s South West region, Treasure Winner, her parents, and three siblings eventually settled on Dschang,[...]
When Helen Keller health workers visited Biaback Guiliagne’s home in a rural Cameroon village, he was surprised at first, but quickly warmed up when he realized the visitors could help relieve some of his pain. For more than 30 years, Biaback had been[...]
Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence. Helen Keller Just like Helen Keller herself, many of the families Helen Keller Intl works with face staggering odds that can seem insurmountable – from food[...]
After many decades of eye health being largely ignored in Africa, Helen Keller is teaming up with partners in Cameroon to reach more than 20,000 students with timely vision interventions. Glasses and other eye care can make all the difference in a child’s[...]
It’s a bright and sunny day in Mbalmayo, Cameroon, and youthful laughter fills the air. There’s joy in children’s voices as they call to one another playfully, sharing stories of their activities at school. I know the importance of vitamin A, how[...]
Diboke, age 13, and her younger sister Ebokolo, age 11, live in a happy yet modest home with their parents and family at Obobogo, a poor semi-urban area in Yaoundé, the capital city of Cameroon. The sisters attend the nearby St. Benedict Secondary School,[...]
We recently spoke with Patrick Mbia, Program Advisor for Neglected Tropical Diseases in Cameroon to discuss this life-saving effort. Neglected tropical diseases – sometimes called diseases of poverty – cause blindness, painful physical deformities,[...]
Anne Sullivan, known around the world as “the miracle worker” for her extraordinary achievements as Helen Keller’s teacher, overcame enormous challenges of her own. Born into poverty in Massachusetts in 1866, Anne lost much of her sight as a result of a[...]