Salma Begum (60) lives at Kisamot Sherpur (Khetapara) village under Gangachara sub-district of Rangpur district. Her husband died five years back. Her eldest son also died. Her younger son manages his own family, and does not take care of her mother. Salma’s husband was too poor and had no cultivable land except a tiny piece of homestead land. After the death of her husband, the penniless Salma fell into an ocean of sufferings since she didn’t have any income to ensure even a single meal a day. Salma started working as a domestic helping hand to others’ households, and succeeded in managing at least a single or double meal for her a day. Days were passing by like this. But destiny didn’t remain steady. Once, she discovered that she could not see things well. Some of her neighbors suggested her to visit the doctor; however, due to lack of awareness and money, she did not go to the doctor. Her vision was decreasing day by day. As she could not see things well, people didn’t engage her as domestic help. It got harder for her to win the daily bread. Finding no other alternatives, she started begging. But she could not go a bit far to ask for assistances due to poor vision. Even she could not do her personal work like bathing, going to the toilet, etc. All these made her life come to an ending point.
One day she came to know about an eye screening camp, organized by Islamic Relief Bangladesh while the announcement of the camp was circulated through loud-speaker. She went to the Patient Screening Programme at Betgari Union Parishad, Gangachara, Rangpur on August 20, 2023. She was diagnosed as a cataract patient. At that time her visual acuity was VA: L/E-PLPR, R/E-HM. After identification, she was asked to go to hospital for surgical operation to restore the vision. The project staff assured her that she would not need any money for the operation as IRB would bear all related costs. She was admitted into the eye hospital, selected by IRB, where she underwent a surgical operation on August 21, 2023. The next day her vision was measured 6/9; she regained her vision to see things. She was found to be very happy, when the project staff received her at the hospital to send her home. She expressed her thankful gratitude by uttering, “For the last 3/4 years, I was not been able to do any work. I used to sit down at a place to beg either for money to meet my ends or food from other people. Though I knew begging is one of the most shameful jobs, I was undone; I had no alternative. But now I am able to see. I will start working as a helping hand to earn my own bread.” She gave thanks to IRB and the donor as well.
Currently, Salam Begum is capable of doing her own work including going to the washroom, bathing, even going somewhere else. After the cataract operation, a visit was paid to Salama Begum’s house for ensuring post-operative support. It was found that she was sorting out the leaves from a kind of leafy vegetable. With the improved vision, she is again a self- dependent person.