大象传媒

Photo: A smiling Zuwaira after her surgery for advanced trachoma. © Sightsavers/Cliqq productions

I’ve been an ambassador for Sightsavers for over 10 years now and I am constantly amazed at the wonderful work they do” Sunetra Sarker

Everyone at Sightsavers has been blown away by the generosity of the Radio 4 listeners. Our appeal smashed its target and raised an extraordinary £89,848 to help fund our work to reach and treat those with avoidable blindness. Our heartfelt thanks go to all of you.

Our appeal, voiced by our wonderful ambassador, Sunetra Sarker, told the story of Zuwaira – a Nigerian mother of six who, until her surgery, had suffered for years with an eye disease called trachoma. Repeated infections of trachoma (which starts off a bit like conjunctivitis) can, over time, cause scarring to the eyelids. This scarring pulls the eyelashes inward, so with every blink they scrape against the eye - each blink can be excruciating. Left untreated, this can lead to blindness.

Trachoma is the world’s leading cause of blindness through infection and worldwide 137 million people are at risk. Yet it’s possible that this disease can be eliminated and Sightsavers and our partners are working hard to do this. Gifts from this appeal can make a huge difference to our fight against trachoma – they could contribute towards surgery like Zuwaira’s, pay for essential surgical equipment, or perhaps help deliver essential medication to help treat the infection. We’re aiming to eliminate trachoma in most of the countries where we work by 2025 – it’s a big ambition, but with support like this we know we can do it!

To find out more about Sightsavers’ work, and how your support can help, please visit our . Thank you!