Into the Light

Published on Friday 15 June 2007 16:25

THE former British colony of Sierra Leone, home to five million people, is the second-poorest country in the world. Sadly, people who are blind here are often considered a burden.

Scotland on Sunday

Special Presentation

Watch a slideshow of photographer Phil Wilkinson's visit to Sierre Leone, narrated by senior writer Jeremy WatsonAs in many developing countries, eye care comes way down the list of health care priorities, leaving international charities such as Sightsavers International to help plug the funding gap. Cataracts are a problem for both children and adults but trauma and diseases such as river blindness take an even greater toll.

Last year, Scotland on Sunday photographer Phil Wilkinson and senior writer Jeremy Watson accompanied a Sightsavers team to Sierra Leone to learn first-hand how donations from the public are spent.

Phil and Jeremy witnessed the joy of sight being restored to children and adults who would otherwise have faced enormous difficulties in everyday life. They found blind adults who had been virtually abandoned to their fate but now had new lives thanks to inventive rehabilitation programmes. They saw how a tiny tablet delivered to remote villages by health workers can transform the future of whole communities wracked by river blindness.

A photo exhibition - Into the Light - featuring a selection of remarkable images of Phil's life-changing journey to Sierre Leone will take place from June 24 at Ocean Terminal in Leith.

Phil and Jeremy hope that you find Into The Light as illuminating and moving as their trip to Sierra Leone proved.