In the rural corners of Rwanda’s Rutsiro District, Josiane Mukandayisenga, a mother from Kivumu Sector, Bunyunju Cell, never imagined that a simple eye screening would lead to a life-changing intervention for her daughter, Uwimpuhwe Daria. After years of struggling with poor vision, Uwimpuhwe’s future has been transformed, thanks to treatment at Kabgayi Eye Hospital.
It all began with subtle signs that something was wrong with her child’s eyesight. “It started when the child could only see while squinting. When it was sunny, she had to cover her eyes with her hand to see. Even at school, she couldn’t write or read properly,” Mukandayisenga recalls.
As time went on, Mukandayisenga noticed that simple tasks were challenging for her daughter.
“When I asked her to do chores like sweeping or washing dishes, she would do them poorly. If I sent her to pick up something visible, she couldn’t find it. Playing games with other children, especially card games, was very difficult for her,” she says.
The social isolation was painful. “Sometimes the other children would say she couldn’t join them because she couldn’t see well,” Mukandayisenga adds, admitting that at first, she thought it was just how her daughter had been born.
However, everything changed when eye specialists came to the school for a screening. They diagnosed Uwimpuhwe with cataracts and referred her to Murunda Hospital, which directed her to Kabgayi Eye Hospital. There, she was informed that a project would help cover the cost of her treatment.
“When I first learned about her condition, I was scared. I thought she might go completely blind, and I had no idea how I would raise a child who couldn’t see,” Mukandayisenga explains. “But when I was told about the project, I felt a sense of relief. I realized there was hope.”
At Kabgayi, the doctors quickly assessed Uwimpuhwe’s condition and provided the necessary treatment. The transformation was remarkable. “She recovered, and now she can see and do everything without any problem. Even the other children now include her in their games,” says Mukandayisenga, her voice filled with gratitude.
The mother of Uwimpuhwe expresses deep thanks to the project that helped restore her daughter’s future. “I cannot find words to thank the people behind this project,” she says. “When I look at my child now, I feel hopeful about what she will become in the future. I want to see her become a doctor and help other children like she was helped.”
Mukandayisenga is also urging other parents to be more aware of their children’s eye health. “I encourage parents to take their children for eye screenings. If your child has eye problems, work with this project because it has helped us so much. We are very grateful.”
Philippe Twagirayezu, an English teacher in GS Kivumu School where Uwimpuhwe studies, says that she currently has no vision problems. “When I look at Uwimpuhwe, she is a bright child, she does well in her studies, in fact, her vision is fine. I even asked her about it, I saw that she was wearing glasses, I asked if she could see clearly on the blackboard, she told me that she had no problems now.
“She still sits at the front of the class, but even if the front seats are full, she can sit at the back and still follow the lesson just as well as anyone else,” adds Twagirayezu.
This is also confirmed by Twumvirimana Theoneste, one of the teachers trained by Kabgayi Eye Hospital on the knowledge of identifying children with vision problems and one of the those who taught Uwimpuhwe Dariya when she was sick, and after she received treatment, she says that this child’s eye disease had affected her learning but says that after she was treated, there are changes in her.
He said: “I took this child in from the second year to the third. His eyes could not see things that were far away. We had to make him sit in front near the blackboard so that he could write the letters while looking at them.” However, after he was treated and recovered, “Uwimuphuwe’s grades improved a lot, because he went from being in the back to being in the front.”
The teacher continued that after the training he received from Kabgayi Eye Hospital on They trained about Early Detection eye health problem in students when he sees a child with the problem, he encourages parents to seek treatment early to prevent blindness. It is in this context that he also asked Uwimuphuwe’s mother to go and get her child treated.
Theoneste Twumvirimana, one of Uwimpuhwe’s teachers at G.S Kivumu, confirmed the improvements he has seen in his student. “When she joined my class from Primary Two to Primary Three, she could only see by squinting. She struggled to see things from a distance. We had to seat her at the front of the class to help her follow the lessons and copy from the board,” he recalls.
“After the eye screening program, her mother took her for treatment. Today, I can confidently say that her vision has improved significantly. She can follow lessons from any seat in the classroom without issue,” says Twumvirimana. “She’s also become more confident. Before, she was always withdrawn, especially when the other children teased her about her eyesight.”
Twumvirimana adds that Uwimpuhwe’s academic performance has also improved significantly since the treatment. “She has moved from being in the lower ranks to a higher position in the class,” he notes. “This project is vital for children like her, and we hope it expands further to reach more children. It prevents them from being isolated and struggling academically.”
Uwimpuhwe herself shared how different her life is now. “When it was sunny, I couldn’t look at someone and recognize them unless I covered my eyes with my hand,” she recalls.
The emotional toll of her poor eyesight was significant. “Sometimes my classmates would make fun of me, and it made me feel like quitting school. When we played ball, I couldn’t find it if it fell somewhere. They would laugh at me, saying I couldn’t see, and they wouldn’t let me join the game. That really hurt me, and I wanted to drop out of school.”
But now, Uwimpuhwe’s future is brighter. She can fully participate in school activities and her self-confidence has improved.
Kabgayi Eye Hospital, with over 30 years of experience, continues to be a leader in eye care services. Through its partnership with the See You Foundation, it has been able to offer free eye care to many children especially those from Western Province of Rwanda, ensuring that no child is left behind because of visual impairment.