3 Things to be Optimistic about in 2023

Group of Nepalese women in vibrant attire sitting indoors, smiling and sharing a large tray with eggs and vegetables. 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[...]

New parents strive to make their next meal more accessible

Middle-aged woman picking green vegetables from tall plants in a rural garden setting.Relying on day-to-day income has never been comfortable for Nirmala and Laxman Basnet. The couple, from a remote village in Nepal’s mountainous Bhojpur District, earns roughly $7 US per day – not enough to afford the steeply rising prices of daily[...]

As hunger mounts, children are at greatest risk

Healthcare worker screening young girl for malnutrition using colored MUAC tape.The combined effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, climate crises, and war in Ukraine have delivered a terrible blow to families already struggling with decades of local conflicts, terrorism, and broken food and healthcare systems. Widespread food and fuel[...]

Meet Ajanie: Our one millionth New York City vision student

Young woman wearing mask monitors eye exam of young boy.Halloween this year was a day for extra celebration at the Academy for College Preparation and Career Exploration in Brooklyn, New York. A short assembly in the morning announced a milestone moment for Helen Keller Intl – the one millionth New York City[...]

Hamman learns new farming skills to support his displaced family

Young man in white shirt and purple pants stands in a fenced vegetable garden with green plants and rural landscape in the background.One midnight, eight years ago, five-year-old Hamman Ahmadu and his family narrowly escaped with their lives from their home in Nigeria’s Borno state. Fleeing from growing instability and terrorism in their home of Gwoza, the family resettled 200 miles away[...]

Going the distance to ensure lifesaving vitamin A  

Group of women and children in clinic setting.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[...]

Bright Sight for a Bright Future

Young girl wearing a bright pink shirt and yellow sleeves sits on a plastic chair indoors, covering one eye with her hand for an eye exam with a Helen Keller poster in the background.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,[...]