“I saw how quickly it could change their lives”
JANUARY 25, 2012: The memories are still vivid for Gillian Tett, the US Managing Editor of the Financial Times: poor men and women eyeing their humble surroundings with excitement – and newfound hope.
At the age of 18, Tett fared to rural Pakistan to travel and work, and it was there that she first saw the impact sight-restoring eye operations could have.
“I can clearly remember the impact cataract surgery had on individuals. I saw how quickly it could change their lives. Surgery gave these poor people wings,” recounts Tett, who traveled amongst and lived with several impoverished communities in South Asia before commencing her studies at Cambridge University and eventually embarking on a career in finance journalism.
It was this experience of seeing real, life-altering change in poor and often underserved communities that led Tett to take a special interest in advancing this year’s Financial Times Seasonal Appeal, in aid of Sightsavers.
“Now that we’ve selected Sightsavers for the Seasonal Appeal, I’ve learned just how cost effective sight-restoring surgeries are. It is truly remarkable,” Tett says.
One adult cataract operation costs less than $27, and can greatly benefit not only the individual operated on but also their community; a sight-restoring operation often allows the individual to return to the productive workforce.
In 2010, Sightsavers helped perform over 270,000 cataract operations in the developing world, where 90 per cent of all blindness occurs. In addition to cataract, Sightsavers also works to tackle other major causes of blindness, such as trachoma and river blindness, which like cataract are endemic in many of the world’s poorest communities.
“We are thrilled to support Sightsavers through the appeal and to encourage readers, staff, and friends to donate to this important cause,” Tett says.
Since the launch of the appeal in November, it has raised over $3.65 million to support Sightsavers’ work across Africa and Asia.
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