Joy's Sight Restored: Free Cataract Surgery Uganda

Amigos Internacionales • May 29, 2025

A poster for amigos mission in motion shows a girl holding a cup

In a remote village in southwestern Uganda, a woman named Joy once faced the devastating possibility of permanent blindness.

Last year, driven by deteriorating vision and rising desperation, she traveled many kilometers on foot to reach a government hospital in hopes of receiving cataract surgery. But the cost—3,000,000 Ugandan shillings (approximately $800 USD)—was impossibly high.

She returned home defeated.

“I decided to forget about my left eye,” Joy shared. “And I prayed my right eye wouldn’t die.”

The Silent Crisis of Preventable Blindness

Joy’s story is not unique. According to the World Health Organization, over 94 million people globally suffer from vision loss due to untreated cataracts—a condition that is curable with a simple, low-cost surgery. (WHO, 2023)

Yet for millions like Joy, access to surgery remains out of reach due to financial, geographic, and systemic barriers. In sub-Saharan Africa, cataract surgery coverage is alarmingly low, particularly in rural areas. Research published by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) highlights that despite being one of the most cost-effective health interventions, cataract surgeries are not widely available to the people who need them most. (IAPB, Cataract Surgery)

A man is talking to a group of people in a room.

A New Chapter: Restored Vision Through Compassionate Care

Thanks to the support of Amigos Internacionales and its strategic partner Doctors on Mission International, Joy's story took a miraculous turn.

She received free cataract surgery during a Missionpoint Eye Surgery Camp—held in the very bush of southwestern Uganda, where access to care is often non-existent.

Funded entirely by generous donors and coordinated by local and international medical volunteers, these camps provide critical eye care, dental treatment, general medicine, and spiritual support to vulnerable communities.

Two surgeons are working on a patient in an operating room.

“Joy walked into our camp with one eye she thought would never see again. She walked out with restored hope—and restored sight,” said Dr. Paul Mulyamboga, head of Doctors on Mission International.

These efforts are part of Amigos' broader Missionpoint Medical Initiative, focused on bringing healing and the love of Christ to those who’ve been forgotten by formal systems.
Learn more about our medical missions →

A man in a pink shirt is getting his eyes examined by an ophthalmologist.

More Than Medicine: A Message of Faith and Hope

While the medical care is essential, these camps are also about spiritual healing. Joy not only received surgery—she was reminded that she is seen, loved, and not alone.

This is what happens when compassion meets action.

Help Us Bring Sight to More People Like Joy

You can be part of this life-changing work. With just $60, we can provide cataract surgery to someone in urgent need.

Whether you're a medical professional, a donor, or a prayer warrior, there's a role for you in this mission.

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👉 Donate. Volunteer. Share.
Together, we can restore sight, dignity, and hope.

🔗 Join the Mission Today

A poster for a one-week eye surgical camp.

#MissionpointMedicalCamps #RestoreSight #AmigosInternacionales #DoctorsOnMission #FaithInAction #UgandaMissions #JoySeesAgain

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Bridgette's Story: 17 Years of Waiting for Life-Changing Surgery

By Michael Ryer • May 13, 2026

For seventeen years, Bridgette has carried a burden no child should ever bear. What started as a small red spot on her face when she was just a baby grew into a massive vascular tumor that doctors across Uganda refused to operate on. Too risky, they said. The tumor could bleed too much. She might not survive. Come back when she's older. Come back when it's smaller. Come back, come back, come back. Bridgette and her mother, Rose, heard "no" for seventeen years. But today, something has finally changed. Bridgette is now on medication that is actively shrinking her tumor. Dr. Paul Mulyamboga, Amigos Internacionales' Director of Medical Services and founder of Doctors on Mission, is monitoring her progress. When the tumor reaches an operable size, he will refer her to Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala for the vascular surgery that could change her life. There's just one problem: surgery can only happen if the funding is already in place . If we don't raise $12,000 before Bridgette's tumor is ready for surgery, she will have to wait again. And after seventeen years of waiting, we cannot let that happen. How It Started — A Small Red Spot