Our Work

Ide Achirafo waits to be screened © Riccardo Gangale / Sightsavers

Ide Achirafo waits to be screened © Riccardo Gangale / Sightsavers

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Its the people whos sight we cannot save that stay with me

Ide Achirafo is just 20 years old. She came to came to the outreach to get her eyes tested as she has been blind with glaucoma in both eyes for 3 years now.

She was married and has one child but her husband has left her so she made the trip to the hospital with her mother and uncle. She has never before seen a doctor about her eyes or sought any kind of treatemnt because they didn't know that help was possible.

Her uncle, Sorte heard about the outreach on the radio and contacted her and her mother, Mariano to tell them. They took a mini bus to Nacala (70KM) and are staying with him at the moment.

Ide started having problems in 2006 and eventually went blind in 2007. She used to be in a lot of pain but not anymore. Her mother now supports her financialy and takes care of her and her young child.

Her mother is a small subsistence famer. Her uncle, Sorte, told us that Ide is very depressed and Ide said "I used to be a normal person and now I am not".

Unfortunately, the eye care team could do nothing to help Ide at this late stage, four years after the problem started.

Mandela is a health care worker at the Outreach. He is married with 7 children; 4 boys and 3 girls. When he is away at outreach his wife is at home and takes care of the children. She doesn't mind at all that he leaves for two weeks at a time and understands that this is part of his job. Mandela is a tall quiet man who moves with care and gentleness among his patients.

Mandela has being working in Nampula Central Hospital (NCH) for 25 years. Having completed his training in Cuba, he started his career as a nurse at the hospital and found he was particularly interested in eye care so trained to become an ophthalmic technician. He has worked now as an ophthalmic technician for 12 years.
He said he enjoys his job and wants to dedicate the rest of his career to eye care because, as he says, ‘I had to fight very hard to be here'.

When asked if there was a particular case that stands out in his mind Mandela said; ‘No particular case of a person whose sight was restored stands out for me. For me it is the people who's sight we cannot improve that stay with me and sadly they are many.' Mandela pointed to Ide Achirafo in the waiting room who he had screened earlier that day. Mandela sighed and said; ‘This girl here is just one example'.

'It's very painful for me when someone comes to me with hope looking for treatment and I can do nothing. Often if they had come for treatment earlier I could have helped. This I find very difficult, very sad and frustrating.'