Pov is a 65-year-old mother and grandmother from Cambodia who enjoys visiting the pagoda and reading religious texts. Two years ago, Pov developed a cataract in each eye, compromising her vision and making it difficult for her to read or go out alone. A cataract occurs when there is a buildup of proteins in the lens of the eye. This causes the lens to become cloudy, disrupting the passage of light through the lens and impairing vision. Most cataracts are due to age-related changes in the eye and account for 50 percent of all cases of blindness worldwide. Formation typically occurs in both eyes, as is the case for Pov. Because of the cataracts, Pov has “blurred vision, tearing, irritation, and cloudy lenses, and she is afraid of sunshine,” our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), tells us. “She can't see anything clearly, recognize faces, do work, or go outside anywhere.” For $225, Pov will undergo surgery to remove the cloudy lenses from her eyes and replace them with artificial ones. Funding for her treatment also includes two days of hospital care, eye drops, ointments, medicine to reduce pain and prevent infection, and one post-operative consultation. After surgery, “Pov will be able to see clearly again,” says CSC. Pov looks forward to having her vision restored. "I hope [to] see everything more clearly than now so I can easily read any letter, do any work, and go anywhere without disturbing someone to take care of me," she shares.