Bibi Mahnaz is a 64 year old widow. She is mother of seven and a resident of Washuk district in Balochistan.
She suffers from blindness due to cataracts. At this age usually parents are served by their children, but unfortunately her children cannot afford to pay for any treatment.
Bib Mahnaz’s son said: “We were hopeless because we could not afford the travel fare to big cities like Quetta and Karachi to go for our mother’s treatment. Our only hope was praying to Allah to make some way for us!”
She lives in one of the most neglected and impoverished rural area of Balochistan, she had no access to information about Islamic Relief Pakistan’s Eye Camp.
Her son mentioned how they came to hear about the Eye Camp: “One day some of the people from our village happened to go to District HQ of Dalbandin with a child who needed an urgent eye treatment. That’s how they learned about the free Eye Camp.”
“Upon their return they especially came to our home to inform about the eye camp! You wouldn’t believe our happiness when we heard that all of these services were being offered free of cost! Tears of joy rolled down my mother’s cheeks as she heard this great news!”
The Eye Camp removed the cataract from Bibi’s eyes and helped restore her sight.
Prior to the treatment Mehnaz Bibi lived in a painful state. She wasn’t able to see anything, she was unable to do simple things on her own, like using the bathroom or putting on her clothes and was constantly dependent on others for help.
Bibi Mahnaz spoke of her surgery: “After the surgery, on the next day when the bandage was removed and I opened my eyes for the first time I couldn’t believe what I was seeing! It was as if I had been given a new life! For this I’m eternally grateful to Islamic Relief”.
She now spends more time with her children, she helps out by contributing to daily expenses as she is now able to work and look after some date palms.
Many people like Bibi Mahnaz have received eye care services through Islamic Relief Pakistan’s various interventions.