Timwia and Nawere’s story

When Timwia and Nawere met, it was love at first sight. And when our team saw them recently in Kiribati, it was obvious how much they still adored one another after 50 years of marriage and raising a family.

Nawere told us,

“She’s the prettiest and that’s why I decided to have her as my wife.”

Can you imagine how awful it was when cataracts robbed them both of the joy of looking into one another’s eyes?

Nawere told us, “When we were able to see, we shared a lot of responsibilities. But with the blindness it’s all gone. I would like to see the world again.”

Timwia responded, “I like his eyes. I want to see Nawere’s eyes again.”

Everyone deserves to see the people they love.

But Timwia and Nawere had been waiting over two years, maybe more. When once they’d journeyed outdoors together for walks in the bush, they were now trapped inside, frustrated at their dependence on others. They were forced to live with avoidable blindness because of a lack of access to eye doctors and medical facilities.

“We can’t do anything anymore”, Timwia explained,

“If you want to go anywhere, you can’t go. If you want to do something, you can’t do it because of the blindness. It makes me sad.”

It wasn’t until our outreach team came that Timwia and Nawere were able to receive the short cataract operations they needed to restore their sight.

Timwia and Nawere had cataract surgery together in the operating theatre. As soon as their bandages came off they saw each other, smiling and laughing like teenagers.

“He looks handsome”, said Timwia.

“She looks prettier and prettier”, said Nawere.

Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, they experienced love at second sight.

There are so many people in the Pacific who are needlessly blind and need your help. Please donate today and give someone the joy of seeing their loved ones again.