The Fields Called Her Back
The morning sun glistens over the fields of Mohamadpur, Muzaffarpur, as Bindu Devi walks steadily between rows of crops. Her grip is firm on the sickle, her pace sure, her gaze clear. For two long years, these fields had faded from her world. But now, they call her back—with open arms and open skies.
Today, Bindu is not just back in the fields. She is back in life.
When Darkness Took Over
A few years ago, Bindu was the lifeline of her home—cooking, cleaning, harvesting alongside her husband Shivnath Sahani. Their farm supported not only them but also their two sons and daughter-in-law.
But then, her vision began to fade.
At first, I thought it was just weakness, I rubbed my eyes and told myself it would pass. But it didn’t. The fog turned to shadows. And eventually, to complete darkness, she recalls.
My hands, once so strong, could now only grope around for support.
Cataracts had taken her sight. But what hurt more was the loss of independence and purpose.
I felt useless, like I was only adding to my daughter-in-law’s burden. It broke me every day, she says, eyes welling up.
When Hope Knocked at Her Door
Then, one afternoon, a few villagers came with news: Akhand Jyoti was conducting a free eye screening camp nearby. Bindu hesitated.
I didn’t believe anything could be done. What if they turned me away too?
But her daughter-in-law insisted, and Bindu, holding onto a thin thread of hope, decided to go.
At the camp, she was diagnosed with bilateral cataracts—both eyes clouded beyond function. But then came the words she never imagined she'd hear:
We can help. And it will cost you nothing.
I just cried, After two years in darkness… someone finally told me I could see again, Bindu remembers.
The Journey to Light
Bindu travelled to the base hospital in Mastichak on a bus arranged by Akhand Jyoti, accompanied by her daughter-in-law.
I was nervous. But when I saw those young girls in white coats, smiling, talking to me like I mattered—I felt safe, she says.
These girls—trained under Akhand Jyoti’s 'Football to Eyeball' programme—are rural daughters like Bindu’s own, now skilled optometrists transforming lives across Bihar.
They touched my eyes with such care, she says.
The surgery was swift. The next morning, her bandages came off.
I opened my eyes... and saw my daughter-in-law crying. I saw her face again! I had forgotten what my family looked like... Bindu whispers, wiping a tear.
Life, Returned
Now, Bindu is back in the fields, working shoulder to shoulder with Shivnath. She cooks for her family, visits neighbours, and manages her home with pride.
I no longer wait for someone to help me walk, she says. I walk on my own. I feed others again. I live again.
More Than Just Sight
Bindu’s story is not rare. It is a mirror to thousands of lives in rural Bihar—where blindness is not just a health issue, but a life sentence of poverty, dependence, and silence.
Akhand Jyoti’s mission is to change that. With every surgery, with every restored eye, we restore something far greater—freedom, dignity, and hope.
Akhand Jyoti gave me more than my sight. They gave me my life back. Bindu says.
Join Us in Realising Vision 2030
Under our Vision 2030, Akhand Jyoti aims to eliminate curable blindness by performing 2 million free eye surgeries, reaching 12 million individuals, and empowering 1,500 rural girls to become optometrists and change-makers.
You can be part of this transformative journey.
Gift someone the ability to see again.
Your support can help restore sight, dignity, and independence to someone who needs it most.
Donate now to sponsor a free eye surgery and become a partner in creating a blindness-free, empowered rural India.
