Voice 1
Hello, I’m Ruby Jones.
Voice 2
And I’m Rachel Hobson. Welcome to Spotlight. This programme uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
Some people are walking in a beautiful stone building. Tall windows let the bright sunshine light up the rooms. A large number of paintings hang on the walls. All the pictures show the same thing - some flowers floating on a small lake. In each case, the painter has used different colours. In some pictures, it is hard to see where one colour stops and another begins. They are all mixed together.
Voice 2
The painter responsible for these pictures was Claude Monet. Monet was a French painter. He was famous for developing a kind of painting called “Impressionism”. He painted what he saw. But he did not aim to copy exactly what he saw. Instead, he painted pictures that were an image of what he thought he could see. He used light and colour in new, exciting ways.
Voice 1
Monet painted the pictures of the flowers on a lake later in life. By this time, he had developed an eye disease. Colours no longer appeared to be as bright to him. He could not see clearly.
Voice 2
Now, some scientists believe that these paintings show how Monet’s eye problems affected his way of painting. Scientists do not think that he chose to mix different colours together on purpose - to create a new way of painting. Instead, they believe that this is how Monet truly saw the world - in a cloudy, unclear way.
Voice 1
But some experts disagree. They accept that Monet painted differently in his later pictures. But they do not believe that his basic design ideas changed much at all. He did have severe eye problems - but they did not reduce the beauty and power of his painting. And the many people who see Monet’s paintings today would agree.
Voice 2
Monet suffered from an eye condition called cataract. This condition affects the eye’s lens - the clear part at the front of the eye. The lens brings together the rays of light that enter the eye. It then produces the clear image of what we are looking at. The lens is very elastic - it can change shape easily. It needs to be clear and elastic to catch all the rays of light that enter the eye. But over time, the lens may become harder and less clear. The light cannot pass through it so easily. So, people’s sight becomes cloudy and unclear. In severe cases, the lens hardens completely. Then, people can no longer see at all.
Voice 1
Cataracts can develop for several reasons. Some of these are difficult to prevent - such as old age, genetic eye problems, or a person’s physical environment. But there are other causes that may add to cataract problems. And these are much easier to change. Smoking is one example. Health services can help by giving patients the correct treatment for their medical problems. This is especially important for people with diabetes or eye disease - as these can lead to cataracts if they are not treated. And a good supply of clean water is also important. People who do not have enough water in their bodies may develop cataracts.
Voice 2
It is maybe not surprising then, that people in developing countries often have cataracts. And many of them are children. Take Bangladesh, for example. This Asian country has over eight hundred thousand [800,000] blind people. Research shows that forty thousand [40,000] of these are children. However, one international aid group is aiming to change this situation.
Voice 1
“Sightsavers” started in the 1950’s. Since then, its members have been working in many countries across Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. They aim to discover what makes people blind. They do their best to develop treatments that will prevent blindness. And, they also operate on people who have cataracts.
Voice 2
Members of “Sightsavers” work with local people on projects. They train people to become health workers. And they provide equipment for the treatment of eye disease. "Sightsavers" wants local people to quickly become responsible for managing the work. Then, “Sightsavers” can move somewhere else to start another project.
Voice 1
One of the “Sightsavers’” most successful projects is the “Bangladesh Childhood Cataract Campaign”. The project manager, Doctor Alamgir Hossain, explains more about it:
Voice 3
“Our aim is to provide cataract operations for at least ten thousand [10,000] children. We need to find the children who are affected by cataract. And we need to make sure that health workers take care of them after the operations.”
Voice 1
The Bangladesh Childhood Cataract Campaign has changed the lives of many children. One of them is a boy called Tajul.
For the first six years of his life, Tajul could not see. His blindness became like a prison. Tajul could not do anything for himself. He did not go to school. He did not go out to play with other children. The one time that he left his house, he fell and broke his hand. So, when he was seven, Tajul’s father took him to Sirajganj Eye Hospital. The trip took six hours on the bus. But, it was worth it. Two short operations solved the problem of Tajul’s blindness. A short time later, the doctors removed the protective covers from Tajul’s eyes. And the first thing he saw was his father’s smile!
Voice 2
The operation for cataracts is a simple process. Doctors remove the useless lens from the eye. Then, they put in a clear, plastic lens. Light can shine through this lens without any problem. So the eye can produce the true image of what it sees. Doctor Hossain talks about how such a simple process has a great effect:
Voice 3
“I go out into the communities. I meet the children who have been helped by these operations. I cannot begin to express the reaction of their parents. And I feel very happy to be part of this miracle.”
Voice 1
Tajul is sitting in his favourite place - up high in a tree. From there, he can watch his friends play football. He can see his house. His mother is outside. Tajul calls her name. Quickly, she looks up. She watches her son playing happily. Her heart fills with happiness. How life has changed for her son!
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