Back To The Heart Of Her Home
Sharada Devi sat in the corner of her dimly lit home, straining her eyes to make out the faces of her children — but all she saw were shadows. The world was slowly fading into darkness, and with it, her ability to care for her family. What if there was a way back? What if a ray of hope could bring her life back into focus?
Sight Restored. Life Reclaimed
Sharada Devi’s world is full of light once again — and so is her heart. The moment the bandages came off after her free cataract surgery, a rush of happiness filled her. She could see her children’s faces, the rich green fields outside her home, and the cows waiting to be fed in her courtyard.
After months of dependency and uncertainty, Sharada is back to living life on her own terms — strong, independent, and proud.
I feel reborn, as if I have gotten a new chance at life. Now I can do everything I used to without asking for help. I can be myself again, and that’s the greatest blessing I could wish for, she says with a warm smile.
A Life Built on Care and Routine
Sharada was the backbone of her home — a devoted wife, a loving mother of five children, and a hard-working caregiver for their small herd of cows.
Her husband, Amarnath Rai earns a meager living as a daily wage laborer in rural Bihar, but their home was filled with happiness, dignity, and routines that kept their family together. This simple life fell into chaos when her sight began to fade.
Her routines fell by the wayside — cooking, cleaning, washing, and looking after her children all became difficult. Her growing dependency weighed heavy on her spirit, and it broke her heart to see her children forced to aid her in their daily routines.
I felt so helpless… I couldn’t even manage my own routines without asking my little ones for help. It made me feel powerless in a way I hadn’t felt before.
A Camp That Changed Everything
Just when all seemed to be growing dimmer, a ray of hope appeared. An announcement in her community said a free eye screening camp was being held nearby.
Anxiously, yet hopefully, Sharada made her way to the camp. A team of passionate doctors examined her, and the diagnosis was clear — cataracts in both eyes.
But alongside the diagnosis came something even more significant: a promise of free, sight-saving surgery.
When they said I wouldn’t pay a single Rupee — not even for travel — I cried with happiness and disbelief. It felt as if someone was lifting me up from the abyss I was in.
A Quiet Return to Normal
Every step of her care was supported — from transportation to the hospital, to comfortable accommodations, food, and follow-up care.
The surgeons’ skill, the nurses’ kindness, and the warmth of the team made her feel valued and cared for. The day after the procedure, when the bandages fell away, a new world opened up for Sharada. She could see the cows waiting in her courtyard, the children smiling in the doorway, and the future that belonged to her once again.
I can do everything myself now — cook, clean, care for my children, and contribute to our home. I feel alive, strong, and purposeful.
The greatest blessing, for Sharada, is the ability to be there for her family — not as a dependency, but as its beating heart.
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 nowto sponsor a free eye surgery and become a partner in creating a blindness-free, empowered rural India.
