Grace Vision, Zithulele Mission Hospital, Mqanduli (2026)

31/03/2026

Every month, Grace Vision is restoring 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.

Your support helps us go further, reach more people, and bring hope where it’s needed most.

Support the work here: https://gracevision.org.za/fundraising-campaign/

Grace Vision
Restoring sight. Changing lives.

06/03/2026

Help support our work:
https://gracevision.org.za/grace-vision-expansion/

For two years, Tutuze Nombulelo couldn’t see.

Since 2024, life had changed completely. The things she once did without thinking now required help.

At first, she stayed with her children. They supported her through daily life, helping her move around and manage at home. But her sister didn’t want the children carrying that responsibility alone.

So she brought Tutuze into her home and cared for her.

Her sister took her to the clinic in search of answers. That’s where they heard about Grace Vision. Tutuze was placed on the waiting list, and in time, she was brought in for surgery.

When asked how she feels now, she smiles.

“I feel really good. I’m excited.”

And what is the first thing she wants to do when she gets home?

“Go back to my garden.”

She laughs softly and adds,

“I didn’t even plow my garden this year.”

For her, plowing the garden is not optional. It is something she does every year. But this year, she couldn’t.

Her sister says she is overwhelmed with relief and happiness. She can finally return home to her own children, knowing Tutuze can now see again.

Soon, once she is fully healed, Tutuze will return to her garden.

Back to the soil.
Back to her routine.
Back to her independence.

And there are many more like her.

Still waiting.
Still hoping.

Your support makes surgeries like this possible.

Together, we can restore more than sight.
We can restore livelihoods, dignity, and independence.

20/02/2026

Love at First Sight… Again 💛
For two years, Maranjana Sithembile (64) lived in darkness.
Cataract blindness had taken away his sight. Through it all, his wife never left his side. She guided him, cared for him, and carried hope when he could not see the way forward.
On Friday, 13 February 2026, he was part of Grace Vision’s first cataract surgical intervention of the year.
On 14 February, his eye patch was removed.
For the first time in over two years, he was able to see his wife again.
A Valentine’s Day neither of them will ever forget.
Sight restored.
Dignity renewed.
Love, seen again.

05/02/2026

The Grace Vision team first met Zizipho Fivana in early 2025, when she arrived at one of our surgical outreach weeks as a caregiver for her aunt.

At the time, her aunt had been completely blind for some years.

This meant that every part of daily life rested on Zizipho’s shoulders. She guided her aunt everywhere, managed the household, and carried the responsibility of caring not only for her aunt, but for her family as a whole. In doing so, Zizipho had placed her own independence and opportunities on hold.

From the moment she arrived, Zizipho stood out.

Among all the caregivers, she was eager to help. Not just with her aunt, but with anyone who needed assistance. She offered help freely, stepped in without being asked, and showed a level of care that did not go unnoticed by the Grace Vision team.

Her story was one we had heard many times before. A young woman who stepped away from a life of independence to care for family members who depended on her completely.

During that surgical week, Grace Vision was able to restore the sight of Zizipho’s aunt.

With sight restored, independence returned. Not only to one individual, but to an entire family. The daily burden that had rested on Zizipho was lifted, opening the door for her to reclaim her own future.

Today, Grace Vision proudly congratulates this remarkable young woman, who has since found employment once again and reclaimed her independence as a breadwinner for her family.

Stories like Zizipho’s remind us why we do this work. At Grace Vision, we are not only restoring sight, we are restoring dignity, life, and hope to those who deserve it most.

27/01/2026

When Nowisile Nokhulela from a village near Mthatha lost her sight four years ago, life changed not only for her, but for her husband as well. Once a hardworking pair who ploughed their fields side by side, the couple suddenly found themselves navigating a new and difficult reality.

Her husband became her full-time support, guiding her through daily tasks, helping her move safely around their home, and carrying the load of the work they once shared. Even though someone assisted at home, most of the responsibility rested on him. Still, he remained steadfast, patient, and deeply committed to caring for his wife throughout her years of blindness.

After four years of complete blindness, Nowisile finally came to Grace Vision for help. She was booked for cataract surgery, a simple but life-changing procedure that offered her the chance to see again.

When the bandages came off, her husband’s reaction was unforgettable. He shared that seeing his wife regain her sight after so long felt like getting his partner back, not just her eyes, but her independence, her confidence, and the life they once shared.

Now that she can see again, the couple looks forward to returning to the simple but meaningful parts of their life. Working together, moving around without fear, and living with renewed dignity.

Nowisile’s recovery is not only a medical success. It is a story of devotion, resilience, and the life-changing impact of restored sight in the rural Eastern Cape.

Grace Vision is honoured to have walked this journey with them.

23/01/2026

Some days the work looks like long, winding roads cutting through hills and open land, places where homes are few and the distances are great. These are the roads we travel to reach communities where care is not easily accessible, but deeply needed. This week alone, those roads carried us to 741 children through our school programmes and 194 patients through our mobile clinic. Every journey reminds us why we go, because behind every kilometre is a person waiting, and behind every quiet place is a story that matters. This is a small glimpse into the work we get to do at Grace Vision, bringing free eye care to those who need it most, no matter how far the road takes us.

16/01/2026

Yesterday, we held our first bimonthly Zithulele Clinic day for 2026, and the response was overwhelming. Well over 200 patients arrived seeking care, a clear sign of the growing need in the communities we serve.

As word spreads, more people are coming forward, and the demand continues to rise. Our team is stretching as far as we can to meet this need, but it is becoming increasingly clear that we will need to expand if we are to serve everyone who is asking for help.

We are deeply grateful for the dedication of our team and for the continued support, prayers, and encouragement that make this work possible. Together, we keep showing up where the need is greatest.

14/01/2026

We’re back in action for 2026 and stepping into the year with renewed commitment and purpose. As we return to rural communities to restore sight and serve those who need it most, we do so deeply aware of the responsibility and privilege this work carries. The road ahead holds both opportunity and challenge, and we would be grateful for your prayers, thoughts, and support as we move forward together into the year ahead.
#2026

28/11/2025

🎉 We have officially reached our 600th Cataract Patient for 2025 ! 🎉
A true Milestone Moment for Grace Vision!

Today 61-year-old Mrs Kungeka Pumile received life-changing surgery on her dense cataract, as part of our last Cataract Surgical week being held right now.

This Milestone marks an incredible year, as renewed sight, restored dignity, and hope has been brought to the people of the Rural communities of the Eastern Cape.

We look forward to 2026, with great enthusiasm, knowing that more is yet to be done!

26/11/2025

Thank you, Hazel Nongoma Mtitshana , for sharing this.
Grace Vision is always grateful to see the impact we are able to make in our communities, and we remain committed to serving where the need is greatest.

25/11/2025

Grace Vision recently partnered with Operation Healing Hands and Blind Loyalty to run a three-day Cataract Surgical week in the deep rural Eastern Cape. Despite extreme heat, power interruptions, and challenging conditions, the camp was a remarkable success - restoring sight, dignity, and independence to dozens of patients.

In this interview, we speak with Dr. Laurens van der Merwe one of the Ophthalmologists who joined the camp, to reflect on the experience, the challenges, and the impact of bringing specialised eye-care directly to communities where it is needed most.

21/11/2025

Grace Vision has reached an incredible milestone - 560 cataract patients treated so far this year.
And marking this moment was someone truly extraordinary.

Meet Gogo Ndawana Nongejile, born in 1924 in the village of Baziya near Mthatha. At 101 years old, she grew up plowing fields with cattle to help her family survive, a lifetime shaped by resilience, strength, and hard work.

From the 11th to the 13th of this month, Gogo Ndawana received sight-restoring surgery at our cataract surgical camp. With her operation, she became the oldest person ever to receive care from Grace Vision, and the patient whose story brings our 2025 total to 560 surgeries.

A century of life - and now, restored sight.
This is why we do what we do.
This is why your support matters.

Grace Vision

31/03/2026

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