In an particularly effective show of international peace and cooperation, we will be curing blindness in 10,000 people on every continent while honoring Stevie Wonder for his prior help in unifying our world sight-restoration activities. We are exploring 3 concert venues – NY, London, and South Africa. The concert revenue will be augmented with live streaming and taped appeals. Streams may be simulcast on large screens at multiple movie theaters and concert venues around the world as well as made available, for a fee, on YouTube and various pay per view services.
There will be live feeds from OWSP pre-sponsored surgery sites, immediately restoring site to thousands of people on 6 continents as the entertainment fund-raising events are happening! Artists unable to physically attend can do so from wherever they are, with streaming internet feeds – even from their studios with FaceTime. The cost of this type of surgery in the developing world is $30 – $50, and one theme of the event will be “One Ticket/Donation” = “One Life with Sight!”
One Ticket/Donation = One Life with Sight!
Blindness will be cured at multiple locations in Africa, India, Asia and South America – but at least one site on each of 6 continents. (Except Antarctica because Antarctica is already chill.)* Men, women, young and old will benefit from these sight-restoring procedures. Advances in cataract surgery in North America and Europe will also be showcased.
We will address both relief and development. As a direct consequence of our fund raising events, thousands of people will be able to see again and funds will be used to encourage the establishment of independent, effective, sustainable national ophthalmic health care delivery systems in all nations, by supporting the effort of the Blindness Prevention Program of the World Health Organization, the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, and existing eye care organizations with proven track records.
Four Tanzanian women waiting after their successful cataract surgeries. This global event will be meaningful for everyone doing eye care in Africa and beyond. Public awareness of the problem is vital because one main challenge is simply letting donors and the cataract-blind know that cataract blindness can be permanently cured (many people who are blind are not even aware that a simple cure exists – hence the importance of ‘social marketing’. The other obvious reasons to raise public awareness are 1) to increase the political will in countries where blindness is not a priority and 2) to make the fund raising activities of all eye care-related non governmental agencies more effective.
An older man excitedly returns home after cataract surgery and sees his village and family for the first time in years!
Replicable Eye Care Centers. We will also show how replication can benefit eye care in developing countries from the aspects of identical facilities with standardized equipment and training, uniform job descriptions for each team member, economy of scale for supplies and maintenance, and the role of volunteer professionals as periodic instructors. Here is our detailed grant proposal for a 5-year pilot project to demonstrate the feasibility of creating 5 permanent and replicable modular eye care training and treatment facilities in Africa. This would result in over 12,000 sight-restoring cataract surgeries and comprehensive eye care to many thousands who previously had none at all – at a total cost of $6.7 million.
A young child explores his surroundings after receiving cataract surgery and being able to see for the first time!
* By 1959, 12 countries came together to create the 1959 Antarctica Treaty: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Chile, the French Republic, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, the Union of South Africa, the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States. The treaty states that all parties involved agree that Antarctica shall forever to be used exclusively for peaceful purposes. The three main stipulations surrounding Antarctic land use – 1) no military presence, 2) no mining, and 3) no nuclear explosions.