[Diabetes-talk] o/t Planterra Foundation Aids Tibetan Blind

[cheryl echevarria]

Planterra Foundation Aids Tibetan Blind
Published on: October 12, 2009
In recognition of World Sight Day on Oct. 8, nonprofit Planeterra Foundation 
announced a donation drive and a video contest to assist the global issue of 
avoidable blindness and visual impairment. The World Health Organization has 
stated that one of the most cost-effective ways to reduce poverty is to 
restore sight, and through Planeterra's efforts, a $50 donation will give a 
patient the ability to see the world that surrounds them and change their 
life forever. Planeterra supports eye camps in remote Tibetan villages. Over 
the past two years Planeterra-funded camps have restored the sight of 
hundreds of Tibetans and provided eye care to hundreds more. The 2009 camp 
in Chabcha this September resulted in 86 successful sight restoration 
surgeries.


"Tibet has one of the highest rates of blindness in the world. Most of this 
blindness is due to cataracts, a disease associated with aging but also 
prevalent among children and the working class. Many are unable to reach a 
hospital because of poverty and lack of transportation. With scattered 
populations spread across great distances, surgical eye camps are the most 
efficient way to treat the high rate of disease," said Richard Edwards, 
Planeterra director.


Donors and tour participants make contributions each year to fund annual 
sight camps in Tibet. On Sept. 26, staff and supporters of Planeterra and 
its parent company, Gap Adventures, came out to "Take a Hike for Planeterra" 
and raised over $3,000 towards a $10,000 goal for the 2010 eye camp. For 
more details, visit www.planeterra.org/pages/world_sight_day/123.php.


To raise awareness of the gender inequity in eye care (many more girls and 
women go untreated than do men), Planeterra's partner in sight solutions, 
Seva Canada, has launched an online video contest, "Her Sight Is Worth It." 
Seva Canada is asking young and aspiring filmmakers to create a short video 
about vision impairment and gender. Planeterra is sponsoring the grand 
prize, a new MacBook ($1,500 value). The three winning videos will be 
screened at the World Community Film Festival in eight locations across 
Canada. The top three winners will also be honored by having sight restored 
to one girl and one woman in their name. For contest details, visit 
www.seva.ca/contest.htm.


Planeterra Foundation is a global non-profit dedicated to sustainable 
community development through travel. It was founded in 2003 by Gap 
Adventures, the largest independent adventure travel company in the world. 
Planeterra evolved out of a long history of travelers committed to finding 
ways to give back to the people and places they visit. Planeterra selects 
the projects and works with Gap Adventures to arrange voluntour travel 
programs worldwide. For more information, call 416-260-0999 or visit 
www.planeterra.org.


Cheryl Echevarria