“Now I can sign my name again”. These were the heartfelt words of 68-year-old Zakade Nothambile, who spent six years in darkness before Grace Vision restored her sight and her independence this week.
Eastern Cape, South Africa (16 April 2026) – Every month, Grace Vision restores sight in the places that need it most.
Across rural communities in the Eastern Cape, lives are being changed through screenings, treatment, spectacles, and sight-restoring surgery.
For many, this care would otherwise be out of reach. Much like for 68-year-old Zakade Nothambile, who had lived without sight for six years. But this week, Grace Vision held another one of its surgical interventions and the darkness she’d grown to accept was lifted, and her sight was restored.
The result was immediate.
“Some patients who have been blind for a long time need time to understand what they are seeing. After years without vision, the brain can take a while to process the world again. But for Zakade, the realisation was instant. She could see, and her family could hardly believe the change,” Grace Vision said.
Shortly after her procedure, Zakade lifted her medical chart and said to the team:
“Now I can sign my name again. I don’t need to use my thumb print any more.”
Regaining this simple skill represented a profound shift for Zakade, gifting her back the independence she had long thought lost. After six years without sight, the reality of restored vision was immediate, emotional, and life-changing.
To support Grace Vision’s work so that more patients like Zakade can receive sight-restoring care, donate here.
Sources: Grace Vision
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Nothando Mthembu
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