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Four-year-old Nizam from Bangladesh with his mother Alatun after his sight saving surgery. © Zul Mukhida / Sightsavers

Four-year-old Nizam from Bangladesh with his mother Alatun after his sight saving surgery. © Zul Mukhida / Sightsavers

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Restoring Sight in Bangladesh

Nizam is one of three children and was born with perfect sight. When he was just two-years-old his mother began notice he was having problems with his eyesight. Over the next two years his sight gradually began to deteriorate until he could no longer see. This meant he was unable to get around his village by himself, had difficulty playing with his friends and couldn't even dress himself.

Unfortunately his mother, Atalun, couldn't afford to take him to the clinic.  Atalun was worried about her son and his future and feared he would become a beggar in their community as she had seen happen to other blind people. ‘It was very painful for me to think of this happening to my son'.

One day last year ABC, a Sightsavers partner was carrying out door-to-door check ups in their village and after diagnosing Nizam as having bilateral cataract they referred him for surgery.

Nizam and his mother went to the hospital where Nizam had a successful cataract operation which took only 20 minutes. Thanks to this life-changing operation, which was funded by Sightsavers, his mother no longer has to fear for his future. Just two days after the surgery he was back home and back playing with his friends again. He is now able to go to school and looks forward to a brighter future.