Andhra village holds a light to the world

All 700 inmates of Bheemavaram village, in the backward Vizianagaram district, have donated their eyes to bring light to those that may need it in future.

It is a worthy cause supported by celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai. But how many people actually come forward to donate their eyes?

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A village in Andhra Pradesh has shown the way. All 700 inmates of Bheemavaram village, in the backward Vizianagaram district, have donated their eyes to bring light to those that may need it in future.

It all started with an eye hospital functioning near the village. The staff at the hospital decided to spend their spare time in educating the people about the need of donating their eyes. Initially, there was some resistance to the idea, as people were afraid of disfiguring their faces. But gradually, the staff managed to win their confidence by showing them a successful replant of eyes.

What started as a trickle soon became flood and eventually, the entire village signed an agreement pledging their eyes for donation to the hospital.