Living in Darkness in Rural Togo
Konde Afi lives in Pagouda, a rural community in Togo.
For many years, she helped care for her family by assisting her daughter-in-law at home and selling snacks outside her son’s house. But when cataracts slowly took her sight, her world became smaller and smaller.
At first, she tried medication and glasses prescribed by a hospital. Her family spent money searching for treatment, but her vision continued to fade.
Eventually, she spent two years living mostly inside one room.
“The hardest part was the loneliness,” she said.
She missed seeing her grandchildren’s faces. She missed talking with neighbors outside her home. She missed being able to contribute to her family.
Mobile Cataract Surgery Through Sight.org
During Sight.org’s third outreach campaign of 2026, Konde heard a radio announcement about free eye consultations in her area.
She arrived early with her son and was examined by the medical team. After evaluation, she was scheduled for cataract surgery.
Sight.org’s mobile surgery model allows patients in rural villages to receive care close to home instead of traveling long distances to expensive urban hospitals.
After surgery, Konde’s sight was restored.
She remembers the joy of seeing clearly again for the first time.
“I saw trees, colors, and the sky again,” she shared.
Restored to Family and Community
Today, Konde is once again helping her daughter-in-law around the house. She spends time with her grandchildren and has restarted her small snack business.
One staff member shared that Konde often spoke about praying during the years she lived in darkness. After surgery, she told the team that she felt joy again after so much time spent alone and discouraged.
As Sight.org continues traveling to rural villages across Togo, patients like Konde are receiving sight-restoring surgery close to home and hearing that they are not forgotten.
We are thankful for every supporter, volunteer, and prayer partner who continues to stand with this work.