Many people have visual impairment, although they could easily be cured.
But they simply live on the “wrong” continent.
The association "Light for the World" wants to improve medical care in poor countries.
Geretsried - Under the motto "I see how you don't see", the German Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired draws attention to the situation and concerns of people with visual impairment with a day of action every year on June 6th.
It is a topic that Geretsriederin Dr.
Astrid Pietig deals with it every day.
She is the managing director of the Munich association "Light for the World".
In an interview, the 53-year-old talks about her work.
Ms. Pietig, we talk to each other about Microsoft Teams. What do you see when you look at your webcam?
Dr. Astrid Pietig:
I see more large screens and many books.
Like many others these days, I am in the home office.
In my case, this is my study at home in Geretsried.
Many people in the world cannot see. "Light for the World eV" wants to change that in its project countries, such as Bangladesh, Bolivia and Burkina Faso. Why?
Pietig:
According to the IABP, the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, 43 million people in the world are blind.
1.1 billion people have poor eyesight and 2 to 3 billion people have problems seeing.
This could help 90 percent of all people with visual impairments, i.e. 771 million people, and 75 percent of cases of blindness would be preventable.
But those affected do not get any help because they live in poor regions with inadequate medical care.
They are unnecessarily blind and it would be easy to help them.
How?
Pietig:
The most common cause of
poor
eyesight and blindness worldwide is cataract.
The disease can be cured with surgery that takes 15 minutes.
And in our main location in Sub-Saharan Africa, this operation costs 30 euros.
That is less money for us than when we go out to eat as a couple in a restaurant or when we go skiing on the Brauneck.
With 30 euros we can give these people back their eyesight and thus give them a self-determined future.
And this is where “Light for the World” comes in?
Pietig:
Like our club in Munich, there are several national clubs at different locations. We have an international umbrella organization with our headquarters in Vienna. We are represented with our own offices and national employees in the project countries. We proceed according to a sustainable and system-changing approach. This means that we are investing in the training of ophthalmologists and medical specialists and building eye clinics. We work closely with local partner organizations, government agencies and health authorities. This is sometimes difficult and protracted because the political systems are sometimes unstable. But we want the local people to be able to carry on independently when we withdraw.
You have already been to Ethiopia, one of the project countries. What are your impressions?
Pietig:
I have visited several eye clinics.
Viewed through European eyes, they appear very simple.
But I was deeply impressed by the results that are being achieved there.
Have you been able to speak to people who have been treated?
Pietig:
I've seen a whole series of trachoma operations.
This is a bacterial inflammation that can actually be treated with eye drops.
If this does not happen, the eyelid continues to turn inwards, which leads to the eyelashes scratching the eye.
It is very painful.
After the eyelid surgery, those affected feel incredible relief because they no longer have pain.
I saw a lot of happy faces during the follow-up.
How is it for people when they can see again?
Pietig:
We have various videos about this on the Internet.
In one, for example, you can see a three-month-old girl seeing her mom for the first time after an operation.
It can be found under the title “A view for a view” on YouTube.
It's very, very moving.
The girl had cataracts from birth.
The clouded eye lens must be surgically exchanged for an artificial one.
For us, cataracts are more known as an "old people's disease".
But in sub-Saharan Africa it also affects younger people due to the strong sunlight, diet and other influences.
Newborn cataracts are common.
I suppose the operations don't just help people emotionally.
Pietig:
The treatment
enables
people to look after themselves and make their contribution to family support.
This is a very decisive economic factor: because the disability often means that another family member has to stay at home for care.
So the treatment helps the whole family structure.
But “Light for the World” is not only committed to helping the blind.
Pious:
Other important mandate areas are inclusive education and "economic empowerment", in other words, creating the medical and economic framework conditions for a self-determined life. Under the motto “Leave no one behind” (leave no one behind, editor's note), we stand up for people with disabilities. In our project countries, many children with disabilities do not reach their second year of life due to a lack of medical care. In some places, a disability is considered a curse, the child is hidden at home. The fact that a child with a disability never goes to school is 2.5 times higher than that of children without a disability. The world's largest teacher shortage is in sub-Saharan Africa. That is why we invest in teacher training.In addition, we support the construction of schools and ensure accessibility there, also with regard to the teaching material.
How does “Light for the World” finance that?
Pietig:
We are 100 percent financed by donations.
We have funds from the public sector, from foundations and through individual donations.
How did you come to "Light for the World"?
Pietig:
They were looking for a managing director for the German association.
When I started to deal with "Light for the World", I was impressed by how easy it is to help and how much you can achieve with even the smallest of sums.
The sustainable and system-changing approach also convinced me.
I am motivated and enthusiastic about it.
You were previously responsible for the topic of social responsibility at the Daimler automotive group in Stuttgart. Is it important to you to work for a good cause professionally?
Pietig:
It runs like a red thread through my professional life.
It is important to me to make a tiny contribution to making the world a little better and more human.
What are your hopes for the future?
Pietig:
That many people have the opportunity to lead a self-determined life.
A life in health, peace and material security.
info
You can support “Light for the World” via the donation account DE 58 70 02 05 00 00 09 83 42 00. More information is available on the Internet at www.light-for-the-world.de
The association in numbers
"Light for the World eV" implemented 258 projects in 2019 in 20 countries. According to the last activity report for 2019/2020, 12,583,000 drugs for trachoma, river blindness and other diseases were distributed in this way. Ophthalmological care, rehabilitation and education reached 1,236,000 people. 985,000 eye exams were performed and 69,000 eye operations were made possible. 41,000 cases involved cataracts (cataracts) and 8,000 were eyelid operations (trachoma). The rest were other eye surgeries. The association reached 46,000 people with disabilities in rehabilitation programs. 19,000 people were trained in inclusion. 15,000 people received support to create their own income. "Light for the World" made it possible for 14,000 children with disabilities to go to school.Source: Light for the Word
