Sig vir Kersfees

Why did Lottoland choose Sight for Christmas as a project to support?

Sight for Christmas/Sig vir Kersfees is a fundraising project driven by the ATKV-tak Gemeenskapsteater, raising funds for cataract surgery. Cataracts are the main cause of blindness in South Africa, not only robbing patients of their sight, but also their independence, ability to earn an income and in many cases their dignity. 

The ATKV-tak Gemeenskapsteater became aware of the ever-increasing need for cataract surgery.  As State facilities are totally overwhelmed by the need for cataract surgery, many people without medical aids or the financial means to have the surgery done privately, are left with nowhere to turn for help, slowly going blind and becoming dependent on their loved ones for their daily needs.  

The ATKV-tak Gemeenskapsteater launched the Sight for Christmas/Sig vir Kersfees project at the end of 2020. Pasteur Eye Hospital and its doctors became involved and on 11 December 2020 the first 3 patients could be helped with cataract surgery from funds raised. 

With the financial situation and high unemployment rate in South Africa, worsened by the current COVID crisis, the need for help with cataract surgery will most probably increase exponentially over the coming months and years, as more and more people will not be able to afford medical aids anymore. This project hopes to play an important role in alleviating the burden on patients and their families, by making cataract surgery possible. Through cataract surgery we do not only give patients their sight back, but also their independence, and hopefully we can enable some of them to start earning an income again.