For India's poor, the line between survival and destitution is thin. Deteriorating eyesight can be catastrophic for those unable to afford proper eye care.

Recognizing this problem, TPRF and its counterpart in India, The Prem Sagar Foundation, have sponsored eye clinics in some of the subcontinent's neediest areas since 2003. The most recent were held between October 2010 and January of this year. With a $10,000 donation, TPRF supported five two-day clinics in four different states.

The clinics were organized by volunteers from Raj Vidya Kender, an Indian service organization with ties to Prem Sagar Foundation. Special attention was paid to the dignity and physical comfort of the patients.

In New Delhi, for example, volunteers began informing needy people in nearby villages a week in advance of the opportunity for a free, first-class eye check-up. During the two days of the clinic, volunteers warmly welcomed patients, helped them to get seated while they waited to see the doctors, and were there to guide them through each step of the process from the examination to receiving eye drops or glasses.

At Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh, the clinic was set up in tents spread over a vast green area. Dr. D.K. Doshi, the senior eye specialist overseeing the team of experienced eye doctors and refractionists on site, said that in his 35 years in practice, he had never seen a clinic so efficiently organized.

During this recent series of clinics, 6,072 people were examined. A total of 4,435 sets of eyeglasses were issued. Close to 4,000 people were treated for eye disorders, and 273 were diagnosed with cataracts and referred for further treatment. Over the past seven years, the program has aided nearly 50,000 people at a total cost of $145,000—less than $3 per person.

Grateful beneficiaries were overjoyed at the difference new eyeglasses and treatment for eye problems made in their lives:

“I could not clean rice and pulse [lentils], nor I could put thread through the needle," said Rajkumari, a villager from Hardamishra Puranipura. "Now with the specs and medicines provided free, I am feeling blessed."

Jubeda, a needle worker and embroiderer whose eye problems threatened her ability to make a living, said, "I am now able to see clearly and will be able to manage my livelihood."

"I was not able to read small letters in the books and sometimes felt headache during studies," said Vijay Arya, a young student of Fatehpur village. "The doctors have explained how to take care of my eyes. I will tell these things to my friends also."

Photos courtesy of The Prem Sagar Foundation.