“Eye Donation Awareness Rally” on World Sight Day

Aditya Jyot foundation for Twinkling Little Eyes in association with Rotary Club of Mumbai Sion organised an Eye Donation Awareness Rally on World Sight Day, 13th October 2011 under the able guidance of Prof.(Dr.) S. Natarajan. The Rally was  flagged off by District Governer of Rotary district 3140, Mr. Vijay Jalan  from Aditya Jyot Eye Hospital Pvt Ltd, plot 153, Major Parmeshwaran Road, Wadala at 8.30 am and passed through Khalsa College, Don Bosco, Kings Circle, Matunga station, and culminated at Ruia College. Thousands of people participated in the rally with eye donation placards and posters. Eye donation pledge forms and information article were also distributed. The rally was a huge success with hundreds of doctors, Rotarians, students and people from all walks of life participating together. They were supported by  the NSS wing of SIWS college, Rotary club of Bombay Worli, Rotary club of Bombay Uptown, Rotary  club of BKC, Rotary club of Bombay Mahim, Rotary club of HR college and Mumbai Tamil Drivers Association . Aditya  Jyot Eye Hospital Pvt Limited & Aditya Jyot Institute of Optometry participated in the rally in a big way & reached out to the common people to create  awareness on this important issue.

As per the statistics, one out of every 150 person in India is affected by corneal blindness which mostly affects children and people from poor social economic strata of the society. Out of the 1 million deaths that occurred in the country last year, a mere 42,000 had opted for eye donations. This is in contrast to the demand of about 3,00,000 eyes per annum. We are one of the fastest growing economies in the world today and ironically, we also shoulder one of the largest populations of the visually impaired amounting to almost one-fourth the world's blind population living in India.

Through the eye donation rally, people from all fields of life came together and participated in this noble venture of promoting eye donation so that somebody will be able to see the rainbow after one’s death. Through the rally, awareness was made that “DO NOT BURY,DO NOT BURN YOUR EYES” rather “MAKE EYE DONATION YOUR FAMILY TRADITION”.