“I can’t wait to make coconut scrapers just like before, or even a canoe. I’m so thankful to the donors who enabled me to see again.” – Danela
Danela is a husband, father and grandfather from Malu’u village in Solomon Islands. He is a skilled woodworker by trade – meticulously crafting exquisite dugout canoes, paddles, and coconut scrapers that are a source of pride and income for the 60-year-old man.
But when he began losing his sight in both eyes, Danela says he was forced to put down his tools. Unable to work, he became dependent on his wife and son to take care of him. Fearful he would trip and fall, he rarely left his home. He says that life became a daily struggle.
Everything changed the day the Outreach Team came to his village in Malu’u. Danela arrived with many other patients from his village. They travelled to the clinic in a truck that had been organised as transport by the Outreach Team.
With his wife by his side, Danela was looking forward to the operation, in hopes that he would see clearly again.
A 20-minute operation gave Danela his sight back. After years of being needlessly blind, he was so excited to move freely again and get back to supporting his family and community.
Danela thanks God for the doctors and nurses. He thanks The Foundation and he thanks you, our wonderful donors for your contribution and support.
Your generosity enables us to work with Pacific partners to train local eye doctors and nurses, who then help restore sight to those who are needlessly blind and vision impaired across the Pacific.
Help us reach more people, so that everyone has a chance to access sight-restoring eye care.
The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ is a registered charitable organisation under the Charities Act 2005.
Charities Commission registration number is CC23722.
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