The story of lives changed by Nepali doctors and eye bank managers who overcame the religious and social perceptions of eye donation.
This campaign would fund the basic travel costs, interpreter costs, and some editing of the documentary "From the Eyes of Buddha." We appreciate your support!
In 2006, I was intrigued by the Nepal Eye Bank, a part of the Tilganga Eye Institute in Kathmandu, Nepal. Over the past years with support from the Himalayan Cataract Project, the eye bank managers and the eye doctors, Dr. Sanduk Ruit and Dr. Reeta Gurung, started the long journey of improving the problem of corneal blindness, which included not only only public awareness, but also the challenge of changing attitudes of society and the Buddhist and Hindu religious leaders about corneal donations after death.
They noticed early that the Western model of tissue donation would not work: people rarely died in hospitals. Instead, they passed away at home and were immediately brought to the Hindu and Buddhist temples for cremation.
This situation led to an interesting intersection of healthcare and religion, and after some time, religious leaders became more convinced that the donation of one's corneas (the thin outer portion of the eye), would not make the donor blind in the next life. Now with improved access by the gatekeepers, the eye bank still faces challenges of society's biases and the difficulty in making the trek to and from the Eye Institute from long distances.
In 2011, three families in Nepal, along with the team members of the Nepal Eye Bank, allowed the filming of the corneal extractions of their loved ones during the sacred funerals at the Hindu temple (and with the families' written consent). The corneas were followed into surgery and into the lives of several lovely people, including Jasima, a 17-year old from the Indian border, and Dhaka, a water-buffalo tending woman from five days away from the capital. The goal to complete the stories of these people consists of returning (about ten months after surgery) to see them in their new lives.
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Funding Unsuccessful This project reached the deadline without achieving its funding goal on April 27, 2012.
Funding period
Apr 20, 2012 -
Apr 27, 2012
- First created · 1 backed
- Joel Addams 911 friends
- Website: cureblindness.org
Pledge $10 or more
12 backers Limited (138 of 150 left)
A $10 donation will include exclusive email updates on the project, including images, video clips, and stories. This pledge will be invited to a "wrap party" with light refreshments, Nepali friends, and music in Salt Lake City in late June 2012 to celebrate the culture of the Himalayas.
Estimated delivery: Jun 2012Pledge $25 or more
10 backers
A $25 donation will receive a set of five fine art cards (notecards) that represent the region of the documentary: Kathmandu and the Everest Region, as well as exclusive email updates on the project, including images, video clips, and stories. This pledge will be invited to a "wrap party" with light refreshments, Nepali friends, and music in Salt Lake City in late June 2012 to celebrate the culture of the Himalayas.
Estimated delivery: Jun 2012Pledge $65 or more
7 backers
A $65 donation will receive an 8 x 10" limited edition print of your choice from Nepal (see "Nepal Prints - Kickstarter" at http://tinyurl.com/7nyy9a7), as well as exclusive email updates on the project, including images, video clips, and stories. This pledge will be invited to a "wrap party" with light refreshments, Nepali friends, and music in Salt Lake City in late June 2012 to celebrate the culture of the Himalayas.
Estimated delivery: Jun 2012Pledge $125 or more
5 backers
A $125 donation will receive a 12 x 18" limited edition print of your choice from Nepal (see "Nepal Prints - Kickstarter" at http://tinyurl.com/7nyy9a7), as well as exclusive email updates on the project, including images, video clips, and stories. This pledge will be invited to a "wrap party" with light refreshments, Nepali friends, and music in Salt Lake City in late June 2012 to celebrate the culture of the Himalayas.
Estimated delivery: Jun 2012Pledge $350 or more
1 backer
A $350 donation will receive a 20 x 30" limited edition print of your choice from Nepal (see "Nepal Prints - Kickstarter" at http://tinyurl.com/7nyy9a7), including images, video clips, and stories. This pledge will be invited to a "wrap party" with light refreshments, Nepali friends, and music in Salt Lake City in late June 2012 to celebrate the culture of the Himalayas. This pledge would also be listed under "Special Thanks" in the credits of the film.
Estimated delivery: Jun 2012Pledge $500 or more
1 backer
A $500 donation will receive a 20 x 30" limited edition print of your choice from Nepal (see "Nepal Prints - Kickstarter" at http://tinyurl.com/7nyy9a7) as well as exclusive email updates on the project, including images, video clips, and stories. This pledge will be invited to a "wrap party" with light refreshments, Nepali friends, and music in Salt Lake City in late June 2012 to celebrate the culture of the Himalayas. This pledge would also be listed under "Special Contribution" in the credits of the film.
Estimated delivery: Jun 2012
