Mr Chhin is 71 years old and lives in the village of Doun Keo.  He used to be married with a family, but his wife and children were killed during the Pol Pot regime (1974-1979).  Mr Chhin never remarried and lives alone.

He used to be employed as a primary school teacher but because of his eye problems and poor vision he had to retire in 1993.

Mr Chhin had never seen a doctor about his eye problems because he was too frightened to do so.  He was worried that if he had surgery he would end up totally blind.

The past 17 years have been very hard for Mr Chhin – with no job, no family and deteriorating eye sight.  He scrapes out a meager existence by renting his land to other villagers who then grow rice on it.  They pay him back in rice and he then sells some of that rice on to other people in the village. 

Thea, our Medical Co-ordinator, met Mr Chhin in early April 2010. He could only see one to two meters in front of him.  Thea organised for him to come to the eye clinic.  Dr Para diagnosed him as having cataracts on both eyes and said that surgery would help him significantly.

One eye was operated on immediately (on 4^th April) and Mr Chhin was so happy with the results that he let Chanty know that he was eager to have his other eye operated on as soon as possible.  Subsequently, he had surgery on the following eye a week later on 11^th April. 

Mr Chhin can now see much better and for the first time in many years life is just a little bit easier.  He says he is very happy that he can now go to the pagoda by himself and he can do things for himself without having to rely on other people.