Sampatti’s story

Bringing Eye Care Closer to Remote Corner of Rajasthan

In a small settlement in Alwar’s Ramgarh block, 76-year-old Sampatti was slowly losing her vision. She had already lost sight in her right eye and her left eye was weakening day by day. Everyday tasks like cooking, walking around the house and even looking after her grandchildren had become difficult and needed support. She lives with her husband in a large joint family, surrounded by her children and ten grandchildren. The family depends on farming and daily-wage work to get by. Like many others in the area, they face challenges in getting proper healthcare because of poverty, distance and lack of awareness.

Her life began to change when she was identified during a door-to-door screening conducted by community mobilisers under Jeevan Jyoti Project in Alwar. Supported by Metso and implemented by Sightsavers India in partnership with the District Administration of Alwar, the project is part of the Rural Eye Health Programme of Sightsavers India. She was referred for a free cataract surgery at the Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital, Alwar, after being examined at one of the two Vision Centres established within government Community Health Centres (CHCs) through the programme.

On 28th January 2025, Sampatti underwent successful cataract surgery. The results were life changing.

“I couldn’t see anything from my right eye, and I was struggling every day. After the surgery, light returned to my life. I feel happier and more hopeful now. Even my family says I’ve changed, I smile more. The project gave me a new life,” she says with a smile.

But Sampatti’s story does not end with her recovery. She is now a community motivator in her own right, gently encouraging neighbours especially elderly women who silently suffer with vision problems to seek help. Her story is sparking change across Sakka Basti.

Strength in Partnership with the Government

Sampatti’s story shows what becomes possible when healthcare reaches people where they are through systems that are part of their everyday lives. Her recovery, like that of many others, has been made possible because the Rural Eye Health Programme in Alwar is tightly integrated with the government health system. Vision Centres at CHCs act as familiar and accessible hubs for eye care, helping patients in remote areas get timely check-ups, referrals and treatment within their local setting.

By building on government infrastructure, involving frontline workers and working closely with the District Health Department, the project ensures both effective service delivery and long-term sustainability, so that even when external funding ends, the system continues to care for its people.

A Sustainable Model of Care

Sightsavers India’s model in Alwar, supported by Metso and endorsed by the district administration through a formal MoU, is designed with long-term impact in mind. By building local capacity, embedding services within existing public systems and mobilising communities, the project ensures that eye health is no longer a privilege, but a basic right accessible even to everyone.

Sampatti getting her vision back is not just her personal win, it shows what can happen when services reach the people who need them and when the health system takes care of community needs.

By: Yogendra Sharma, District Project Coordinator – Alwar REH