Al-Najat Charity Launches 'Ibsar 9' to Treat Eye Patients in 7 Countries

Al-Najah Charity Association announced the launch of its “Ibsar” project for treating eye patients on Friday. Implemented by the association for the ninth consecutive year in several impoverished countries, the initiative aims to perform cataract surgeries, treat vision impairment, and provide necessary medical care to beneficiaries, targeting the treatment of more than 2,500 patients. This effort is part of the association’s continuous humanitarian and medical endeavors to alleviate the suffering of patients who cannot afford treatment costs in poor countries.

Talal Fakhir, Assistant General Manager of Resources at Al-Najah Charity Association, stated that the “Ibsar” project is being carried out for the ninth consecutive year and ranks among the most prominent medical projects implemented by the association outside Kuwait. He explained that the association’s teams, during their field visits to impoverished countries, have observed a widespread prevalence of eye diseases, which lead to severe humanitarian, social, and economic hardships.

Fakhir added, “It is painful that a human life can be halted by just 40 dinars. A family breadwinner may lose his ability to work, a student may be deprived of his place in school, and an entire family may be forced to seek assistance due to a treatable condition requiring a simple surgery.” He noted that the cost of the surgery is only 40 dinars, takes less than 15 minutes, and has a high success rate.

He clarified that the project aims to raise 100,000 dinars in its first phase, which will contribute to treating more than 2,500 patients. He pointed out that “Ibsar 9” is not limited to performing surgeries; it also includes organizing medical camps, conducting examinations, providing medications and eyeglasses, and offering necessary consultations for eye patients.

Fakhir indicated that the project is being implemented in Yemen, Egypt, Benin, Chad, Somalia, Mauritania, and Bangladesh. He emphasized that the selection of countries is done in full coordination with the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and beneficiary cases are selected according to clear criteria, primarily prioritizing “the most in need,” without regard to religion, race, or color, while adhering to official approvals and regulations and coordinating with approved partners in beneficiary countries.

He noted that the association makes significant efforts prior to organizing medical camps, starting with selecting equipped hospitals suitable for the nature of the surgeries, followed by choosing experienced medical and nursing staff, providing medications and supplies, and conducting necessary examinations and medical consultations for patients.

Fakhir affirmed that the “Ibsar 9” project embodies an important aspect of the mission of Kuwaiti charitable work. He explained that treating a patient means not only restoring their sight but also restoring their ability to work, produce, and rely on themselves, and opening the path for their children to continue their education and live normal lives.

He recalled several touching humanitarian experiences encountered by the association’s delegations during the implementation of medical camps, noting that the moment of removing the bandage from a patient’s eye after surgery is among the most impactful. Patients and their families eagerly await the moment light returns to their eyes, followed by shouts of takbir and tahleel, and prostrations of gratitude to God, while prayers are directed toward the people of Kuwait and donors who contributed to treating the patients.

He said that among the cases observed by Al-Najah’s delegations was a man who worked as a tailor and owned a small shop to support his family. However, after losing his sight, he was forced to close his store, leading to a deterioration in his family’s situation and forcing them to borrow money and seek assistance. His children also dropped out of school due to their inability to pay tuition fees. He confirmed that restoring sight to this man was akin to restoring life to the entire family.

Fakhir also referred to another case involving an elderly woman in Bangladesh.

She had been suffering from blindness, and she welcomed the Najaah delegation with great joy upon learning that the team had come from Kuwait to assist her. After the surgery and the return of sight to her eyes, she expressed her happiness through tears, affirming that she had been unable to perform even the simplest daily tasks without others’ help.

He added that children also feature in these touching human-interest stories, as some had been deprived of playing, studying, and living a normal life due to blindness. They expressed their simple wish to see the light like other children. Among the phrases that remained etched in the association’s team members’ memories was one child’s statement: “I hate darkness. I want light. I want to play with my friends.”

Fakher clarified that one patient in the Republic of Chad, after the successful surgery and the return of his sight, expressed his joy in his own way, saying, “Now I can see the capital, N’Djamena,” a scene that reflects the profound impact the project has on the lives of its beneficiaries.

Fakher praised the cooperation between the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, emphasizing that the association’s projects are implemented within an institutional framework and under official regulations. He also commended the role of Kuwaiti ambassadors abroad and the support and assistance they provide to Kuwaiti humanitarian and development projects.

He confirmed that the “Ibsar 9” project is licensed by the Ministry of Social Affairs, and that zakat funds may be allocated to the project in accordance with the Islamic legal ruling obtained by the association. He called on philanthropists and benefactors to contribute to treating eye patients, noting that while 40 dinars may seem like a modest amount, for a patient living in darkness it can make the difference between helplessness and capability, between pain and hope, and between a life dependent on others and one in which a person returns to work, family, and community.