Plight of Firozabad's banglemakers drives Class-11 girl to float NGO to create eye care awareness among poor

Sanjana Chauhans NGO named 'Drishti' collaborates with top healthcare companies such as Apollo Hospitals to organise free eye check-up camps among industrial workers and poor families living in shanties.

New Delhi: Moved by a fifth grade girl from Uttar Pradesh's Firozabad struggling to read what's written on a blackboard at a Delhi event due to her poor eyesight, a 16-year-old school girl was inspired to float an NGO along with her friends to create eye care awareness among the underprivileged sections of society.

"In a country where millions struggle silently with undiagnosed or untreated vision problems, I want to light their way," said Sanjana Chauhan, a Class-11 student in Noida and founder of the NGO, Drishti.

The incident of the Firozabad girl prompted Sanjana to discuss the issue with her friends and do some research on vision impairment among the weaker sections.

They visited one of the most affected groups of industrial workers -- the bangle manufacturers of Firozabad.

There was a reason why they picked Firozabad. Sanjana had come across a chapter in her textbook about the bangle industry of Firozabad and the adverse effects of polishing bangles.

"Here, intense heat, sparks from machinery, and particulate matter wreak havoc on workers' eyesight," she said.

"A 2022 study on Firozabad's glass industry workers revealed that more than 35 per cent staff suffered from refractive errors while 15 per cent experienced chronic eye dryness, with symptoms ranging from redness and burning to a constant sensation of grit in their eyes," Saloni, a student and a volunteer for Drishti, said.

Sanjana realised that the problem wasn't just medical but social, economic and systemic.

"I discussed the issue with my friends and professionals and decided to float an NGO named Drishti," she said.

Referring to data from the World Health Organization and the Government of India, the volunteers of Drishti said that over 408 million Indians suffer from some form of vision impairment.

Sanjana was also surprised to know that in 80 per cent of these cases, the condition is either preventable or treatable -- if only for right awareness and care.

"The culprits? Everything... From poor eye hygiene, polluted environments, excessive screen time to unsafe working conditions," Kavya Chaudhary, one of Sanjana's friends and an active member of Drishti, said.

Today, Drishti collaborates with top healthcare companies such as Apollo Hospitals to organise free eye check-up camps among industrial workers and poor families living in shanties.

Not only do they receive free consultations at these camps, they are also provided with medicines, eye drops and spectacles, all at no cost.

"For many, the first eye check-up results in both alarming as well as life-changing revelations," Sanjana said.

For her team, the mantra is -- "eyes are one of God's greatest gifts and every person deserves to see the beauty of this world and live with dignity".

"Through Drishti, we want to ensure that no one suffers silently or needlessly due to lack of awareness or access to care. For us, Drishti is not just about eye care -- it's about restoring independence, dignity and hope," one of her teammates said.