By: Brenna Miles | Posted: July 31, 2024

For three children in Nicaragua, poor eyesight left them feeling hopeless. But through the local church, their eyes were opened to hope.

Nicaragua Health

Seeing Hope: Little Eyes Opened Through the Gift of Glasses

For three children in Nicaragua, poor eyesight left them feeling hopeless. But through the local church, their eyes were opened to hope.

Written by Brenna Miles

Photos and Interviews by Junieth Dinarte

Young boy lies on a yellow and pink background and holds up glasses to the camera. He smiles brightly.

Life looks different when you’re viewing it through the lens of poverty. Everyday essentials like food, clean water and medical care are always just out of reach. And hope? It’s blurred.

Three children in Nicaragua, Andreina, Yubielka and Anderson, know this better than anyone. With poor eyesight, they struggled in school and suffered severe headaches and exhaustion.

Poverty made securing relief impossible for the three children’s families — until the local church stepped in. Through the gift of glasses, the children could finally see clearly, in more ways than one.

What's Here:

“I Couldn’t See the Whiteboard in Class … I Was Very Sad.”

At the Fuente de Santidad Compassion center in rural Nicaragua, Andreina, Yubielka and Anderson suffered from problems with their eyesight. Each of them began to develop headaches and tiredness in their eyes.

“I couldn’t see the whiteboard in class, and I would get bad headaches, but I didn’t understand why. I was very sad.” — Andreina

Unfortunately, their trouble seeing damaged their school performance. They worked hard to learn how to read and write but couldn’t succeed. Frustration began to set in, and hope of ever finishing their educations dwindled.

I couldn’t read or write. My teachers used to ask me to rewrite things a lot, but it made no difference. Sometimes, I would even run into things … I was starting to get frustrated.

— Yubielka

Glasses: An Impossible Investment

Each child’s teacher began to express their concerns to the children’s parents.

A simple eye exam and lenses could make all the difference. However, in rural Nicaragua, most family providers work day-to-day jobs as farmhands and fishermen. Their earnings? Only around $100 per month.

This wage isn’t even enough to feed their families, let alone pay for their children to see an optometrist. Living in poverty often results in devastating choices, like eating enough or being able to see clearly.

Andreina, Yubielka & Anderson’s Eyes Are Opened to Hope

Andreina, Yubielka and Anderson’s parents knew just what to do. They reached out to their children’s Compassion center at the local church for help.

Many parents came to us asking for help because their children would tell them that they couldn’t see. The cost of a doctor’s appointment and the purchase of lenses is out of reach for most parents in this community. We were their only hope.

— Ana, director of the Fuente De Santidad center

The local church stepped in, providing the necessary funds for each child to receive a medical checkup and a visit with an optometrist. Andreina, Yubielka and Anderson got to try on glasses and pick out their favorite frames.

Soon, they received their lenses and experienced crystal-clear eyesight for the very first time.

Andreina

Young girl wearing glasses sits at a desk reading a Bible.

Before I got the glasses, I would get constant headaches and dizziness. My eyes would feel tired, and I couldn’t see clearly — everything was dark and blurry. But when I got my glasses, I felt very happy because I knew they were going to help me a lot. I feel a lot more relaxed, and my eyesight has improved, too!

— Andreina

Yubielka

Young girl wearing pink glasses sits at a green table with her hands under her chin and smiles for the camera.

I couldn’t see anything, it was blurry … sometimes I would drop my school supplies, and other times I would run into things because I couldn’t see clearly. Now, I feel grateful because the center helped a lot. My parents couldn’t buy my glasses, but the center was there for me. Now I can read easily and write without a problem.

— Yubielka

Anderson

Young boy with glasses lies on a yellow and pink background. He smiles brightly.

I felt like my eyes stung a lot. I had eyedrops, but they didn’t work. My parents took me to a clinic, but the glasses were too expensive. The center helped me, and I am very grateful because they provided me with my glasses, and I feel like I have improved a lot.

— Anderson

Andreina, Yubielka and Anderson’s eyes were opened to so much more than the world around them. Thankfully, they can now see to read and write and walk without stumbling. But even more than that, they can see hope.

With their eyesight restored, they can excel in school, become confident in their gifts and talents, and develop the skills needed to chase their dreams. With their now healthy bodies, strong minds and confidence, they can break the bonds of poverty over their lives.

And it’s all because of something as simple as glasses.

Andreina, Yubielka and Anderson’s checkups and care were made possible through sponsorship. Learn more about child sponsorship.

You Can Help a Child See Beyond Poverty

For children living in poverty, hardship and lack are often all they can see. Food, medical care and even shelter can be impossible to get. Simply struggling to survive clouds their vision and keeps them from seeing the brighter future God has planned for them.

As the hands and feet of Jesus, we can help children see beyond poverty by saying yes to meeting their needs — physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. With these met, they can experience the fullness of life Jesus promises them in him.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

— John 10:10 (NIV)

Help a Child See Beyond Poverty

Man holds child in teal shirt with glasses. She smiles.

You can deliver hope to a child just like Andreina, Yubielka and Anderson by meeting their medical needs.

Learn More