#PowerOfHope: Surgery gave back tailor his eyesight - and work

What is the price of a smile? Now multiply that by 71 million. For, that's the number of lives that the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives touched and transformed in 2019. agratitude from around the world. In this series, Khaleej Times showcases eight people whose lives MBRGI changed last year through the power of hope

El Hadj Habib Cisse, 74, lives in the rural town of Mekhe, Senegal, home to 33,000 residents who do not have access to basic healthcare services. The town does not have a licensed hospital that provides routine medical services, such as eye examinations and vision treatment.

Cisse used to work as a tailor before developing cataracts more than 20 years ago. His eyesight diminished gradually until he could no longer see well enough to perform his most basic daily tasks, let alone continue working. As a result, he lost his only source of income.

Due to the lack of resources in his hometown and his meagre living conditions, Cisse was unable to get the proper treatment for his cataracts. Then Noor Dubai's mobile eye camp brought a ray of hope into his life.

isse was one of the 2,158 patients who received critical eye surgeries as part of Noor Dubai's four medical camps in Senegal and Bangladesh last year. The mobile camps provided medical services to 20,486 patients and distributed 6,608 pairs of eyeglasses in remote areas of both countries.

Thanks to the medical team, Cisse's eyesight was restored, enabling him to lead a productive life today with an income of his own.