Chand Devi’s story

A Clear Path to a Better Life: Chand Devi’s Story

In Jaipur, 60-year-old Chand Devi stands as a testament to resilience. Despite her modest income of just ₹4,000 a month from selling vegetables, and without support from her children, she faces life’s challenges head-on. Living alone in a small, one-room house with separate kitchen and toilet facilities, Chand Devi makes do with what little she has. Owning her home is one of the few comforts in her difficult life.

However, as time passed, Chand Devi began to experience worsening vision, particularly affecting her ability to see up close. Her vision became blurry, and frequent headaches started to impact her ability to pick quality vegetables—an essential part of her trade. With declining sales and growing financial strain, Chand Devi’s livelihood was in jeopardy. The loss of clear vision was slowly eroding her quality of life.

That’s when the Urban Eye Health Programme, an initiative of Sightsavers India, stepped in. During a routine visit, a health worker identified her vision problem and referred her to a nearby outreach camp, where she received a free eye examination. Thanks to the generous support from the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation, Chand Devi was provided with a pair of near-vision glasses at no cost. The transformation was immediate.

With her new spectacles, Chand Devi could see once again. This not only allowed her to choose fresh, high-quality vegetables, but it also improved her sales, helping to stabilise her income. The constant headaches that once burdened her were gone, and she regained her confidence—both in her work and in her daily life.