Twenty-two people struggling with impaired vision helped by Glencore in eMalahleni

Glencore Coal Tweefontein Complex recently partnered with the South African National Council for the Blind and Witbank Hospital to help correct the impaired vision of 22 community members in eMalahleni.

According to SANCB, the Nkangala district in Mpumalanga has a high prevalence of cataracts and very few eye care activities due to inadequate resources in the district. This means that close to 6 000 people have avoidable blindness, of which 50 per cent is due to cataracts. 

A cataract is known as the clouding of the normally clear lens of the eye.

Cataracts form when protein builds up in the lens of one’s eye and makes it cloudy. This keeps light from passing through clearly and can cause the affected party to lose some of their eyesight, thus negatively affecting their quality of life.

This was the unfortunate case for a self-employed carpenter, Gideon Mola.

“My vision has always been misty to the point where I couldn’t even see properly at school. I then started working and wore spectacles, which I unfortunately lost and was never able to replace due to the cost. The last time I had my eyes tested was three years ago, and my eyes had gotten much worse at that point. Life was getting more difficult as I couldn’t work productively which was affecting my ability to make a living. Now that I have had the surgery, I am confident that my life will improve significantly. I’m excited to look at the world with fresh new eyes” he said.

Glencore and the SANCB commenced the Witbank Hospital tour in July, where more than 30 patients were screened and 22 underwent cataract surgery with the help of the hospital surgeons, Dr Mthethwa and Dr Sebogodi.

“It has been an absolute honour to be able to change how people in our communities view the world and, better yet, their future. What has been done through this incredible partnership has enabled us to slowly change the statistics of people needing cataract operations in the district. This means providing direct eye care service to our community members who do not have access to eye care services. We are happy to have played our part in reducing the prevalence of avoidable blindness in our communities. We rejoice with every one of the very deserving recipients of this surgery and hope that this new vision gives them a new lease on life” said Glencore’s Community Development Specialist, Mapule Mokoena.

The partnership between the two organisations speaks to Glencore’s commitment to investing in the health of its host communities.

Through the partnership, the mining operation aims to provide comprehensive eye care to community members as this is an essential part of the global action plan which is to meet the eye care needs of marginalized communities in the country.

“The success of such a project is based on the partnerships that the South African National Council for the Blind has, as no organisation can successfully implement the programme on its own. This is also why we partnered with Glencore Coal. When we first approached Glencore, they were eager to jump on board based on their commitment to improving the lives of their communities. Their response gave us the encouragement we needed as we also want to improve people’s quality of life” said SANCB Manager, Angelina Khupe .

Glencore continues to pride itself in progressing together with its communities, ensuring that the needs of its host communities are met.  

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