For 13-year-old Zakan Maman, the hardest part of living with a cataract was not the loss of vision.
It was the feeling of being different.
Born with a white cataract in her left eye, Zakan spent years noticing the stares of people around her. Even when nothing was said, she felt the weight of being treated differently. Over time, her confidence faded.
After her father died, financial hardship forced her mother to send her from Ivory Coast to live with her aunt in Togo. Her aunt enrolled her in hairdressing training and searched for help when she saw how deeply the condition was affecting her.
A medical consultation confirmed that surgery was possible, but her family could not afford it.
Then they learned about a Sight.org mobile eye surgery outreach taking place in Atakpamé.
When they heard about the outreach, they made the trip hoping they could finally find help for Zakan’s eye.
Zakan arrived hoping for one thing: that her eye would look normal so people would stop staring.
Doctors did not expect significant vision to return.
But after surgery, something surprising happened.
When her bandage was removed, she could see light and shapes through the eye that had never functioned normally before.
“It’s not perfect,” she said, “but I can see something, and for me, that’s truly a miracle.”
Today, Zakan feels more comfortable and no longer tries to hide part of her face. She enjoys her hairdressing training and feels at peace.
Her aunt is overjoyed to see the change.
Thank you for helping make stories like Zakan’s possible.