Since 1996 more than 4000 people got their sight restored and more than 26,000 people have received various eye-care treatments through the support of JOY. JOY has been providing these services free of cost, by supporting eye camps fully as well as partially through the help of its various partners. The remuneration of specialist and support services is donated voluntarily however.

The World Health Organization estimates that 45 million people worldwide are blind; 90 percent of them are in developing nations. Many of these cases may be easily preventable or treatable. Nearly half could be helped by a procedure that’s become routine in many nations – cataract surgery. In Nepal the rate to cure blindness through cataract surgery is one of the highest worldwide, according to National Geographic.

The importance of eye camps is based on the fact that loss of vision as a result of cataract is impacting people’s lives drastically. Esp. in remote areas, where the people live far from hospitals, it is important to find a way to reach them. Cataract has increased, it is said that two third of the cases regarding blindness in Nepal are results of cataract. In cases with serious visual impairment, the standard treatment is surgical removal of the lens.

This is a process that takes only about 4 to 5 minutes. These short procedures can change an individual’s life forever.