Our team from Anthropose headed out for our second cataract surgery camp on the 20th of December. This year, the camp was held at the District Eye Community Center in Dhading Besi, Nepal.

After a four-hour long ride from Kathmandu, we finally reached our destination.

The following day was an important day for many of us. It was the first day of our Cataract Surgery Camp.

Early next morning, people queued up at the registration kiosk, waiting. As the camp progressed, an elderly gentleman caught our attention. He was sitting on a bench, holding on to his makeshift walking cane; all the while his eyes wondered around.

“Man Bir Gurung”, the doctor’s assistant called out and a man seated next to the elderly man replied, “Yes, he is my father.”

It was his turn to head in for his vision test. While his son assisted him to the test center, we tagged along to help.

Kartik 18, 2074, he recalled and said that it was the day when he lost both of his eyesight due to cataract. He further added,

“Life has been only about darkness since then. I no longer know how my house looks like now.”

He dreams of working on the fields and watching his great grandchildren laugh; he told us.

While our conversation lasted, we had finished testing his vision, established his cataracts could be removed and were in the anesthetic room.

Scared, rubbing his hands together he laid down on the bed upon the doctor’s instruction. The doctor then consoled Man Bir while anesthetizing the eye. Observing an eye being punctured by an injection is a tough sight, let alone being the one being anesthetized. We were hoping that the pain would be worthwhile later on for Man Bir. Once done, he was ready to head on to the operating room.