Bengaluru, India. In the spirit of the last General and Provincial Chapter’s resolutions to commit our services for those suffering in the peripheries, the Province of Bangalore has set up a program to help the visually challenged people called Project Vision Eye Care Campus. The Campus was blessed on June 23, 2019 by Bangalore’s Provincial Superior, Fr Jacob Arackal, CMF. Likewise, an Eye Care Clinic and an Eye Care outreach program was launched on the day in the presence of several Claretian confreres.
“I have pledged my eyes. When I die, my eyes will not go to the soil. It will give sight to two blind persons” said Deputy Chief Minister of the State of Karnataka, Dr Parameswar as he inaugurated the Project Vision Eye Care Campus at Kasapura in Tumkur district, along with visually challenged child prodigy Ms Fathima Anshi.
Dr Parameshwar expressed the hope that more people will come forward to donate their eyes with Project Vision, an initiative of the Claretian Fathers working for eye donation and eye care. Dr Parameswar also inaugurated the Project Vision Eye Care Clinic in the campus which is established to provide eye care services for the rural poor. He also flagged off the Ambulance for the Project Vision outreach program. Through the Ambulance Project Vision has planned to provide eye care facilities for the villages in Korategere, Madugiri and Gauribidanur Taluks in Karnataka. Project Vision Eye Care Campus is situated at Kasapura Gate, Arasapura Panchayath, Korategere Taluk, Tumkur Dt, 100 kilometres from Bangalore.
Deputy Commissioner of Tumkur District, Dr Rakesh Kumar and Superintendent of Police Mr Vamshi also attended the program. Panchayat President Hanumakka Rangaiah was also present.
Project Vision was started in 2013 by Fr George Kannanthanam Claretian priest and social worker to give sight to the blind and to help the blind persons to live a meaningful life. The eye donation movement led by Project Vision since then has motivated about 500,000 persons to pledge to donate their eyes. Sight has already been given to about 300 persons through corneal transplant. Six thousand cataract operations have been conducted for the poor so far enabling them to live a productive life. India has one third of the world’s 39 million blind population. Only 30,000 persons out of the nine million people who died last year, donated their eyes. The motto of Project Vision is ‘Let Everyone see’.
According to Fr George, if all the Christians in the country came forward to donate their eyes, the Christian community can provide sight to all the blind who can get sight. With this motive, Project Vision is working with various Congregations, dioceses and Christian organizations like the Vincent De Paul society and All India Catholic University Federation.
Project Vision is supported by a large base of lay people from all walks of life. It is funded by various companies in India agencies ONGC and BPCL and various funding agencies like Proclade and Italian Bishops Conference. Project Vision Eye Clinic is supported by Ysmen Club. ONGC is the sponsor for the Ambulance and the outreach program. With the support of BPCL, Project Vision has planned to establish Eye Banks in places not having the facility.
The land for the center was donated by Mr. Stanislaus D’souza, brother of our Claretian priest Fr Peter D’Souza.
