Surendra Ullal
CHICAGO: The Blind Foundation for India (BFI) has raised over five million US dollars.BFI was established in 1989 with a mission to prevent and cure blindness and rehabilitate permanently blind people in India. The funds are used to examine eyesight of over a million adults. So far, BFI has conducted over 200,000 free cataract operations, donated 131 medical mobile vans to transport doctors and patients, and distributed over 10,000 Braille Kits to blind children for their education.
There are over 15 million blind people in India which translates to one out of every three blinds in the world. There is a power of Prevention such as $1 of Vitamin A drops administered from age 4-6, prevents the child from going blind. That child getting education has a potential to earn $100,00 during his/her lifetime – $1 investment leading to $100,000 benefit of exponential power. Additionally, in India, it only costs $20 for a Cataract operation as compared to $4,000 in the US, a multiplier of 200.
The BFI team reached a major milestone of raising over Five Million US dollars. These funds are used to examine eyesight of over a Million adults. So far, BFI has conducted over 200,000 free cataract operations, donated 131 medical mobile vans to transport doctors and patients, and distributed over 10,000 Braille Kits to blind children for their education. The major BFI focus is on the prevention of Blindness through Child Sight Projects. Over a Million school children’s’ eyesight has been examined and given free glasses, eye drops, Vitamin A, and in some cases, Cataract operations.
With Rotary International Matching Grants, at BFI we have completed 14 projects worth $500,000.
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