Children going blind in the city
The visually impaired children of Ruga Muhammed Mubarak is 10 years old. Pus has been running from his eyes for the past three years. He lives in Ruga, a slum behind Wuye, one of the districts of Nigeria’s capital Abuja. The residents of Ruga live on snacks and in shanties. No access to water, no basic health services. Adamu, Mubarak’s three-year-old brother was born with the same eye problem. Their father says both boys can see partially, though not for some time. He and his wife have used different home remedies to ease their sons’ pain. Nothing has worked well. Around 30 children in the community have the same eye problem. Volunteer teacher Mark Okere, who operates a primary school in the community, sees them every day. “In my school alone, we have about eight of the students having this ailment,” says Okere. A mother, Barahatu Ibrahim, disclosed that three of her children have the same problem. “We are really worried,” she says. "The recent one ...