One of the saddest things that could happen to an African man is for him to be cheated on; more so, on his own matrimonial bed. The same can be said for a woman who experiences this same stroke of bad luck. If those with normal vision are sometimes cheated on in broad daylight, how much more the blind?

Well, it will interest you to know that the people of Amprefu and Kyeyewowere are no longer sufferers of this misadventure. This is because, on Wednesday, June 21, 2023, they were declared avoidable blindness-free. This means that there is not even a single person in any of these villages who is unnecessarily blind.

When one of the beneficiaries of the free eye services (surgery, glasses, and drugs) sponsored by Operation Eyesight Universal (OEU) was called upon to voluntarily testify, he stressed one of the benefits the men have harnessed from this programme. He said because their sight has been restored they are no longer scared that their wives would cheat on them unnoticed.

This remark threw the audience, who have gathered to celebrate this historic feat, into uncontrollable laughter. In attendance at this cheerful ceremony held at Amprefu were:

The chief of Kyekyewere, Dr. Afake (Director in charge of Eye Services, GHS), Dr. Boateng Wiafe (Technical Advisor for OEU and Medical Director of Watborg Eye Services), Lawyer Samuel Kumah (Country Director of OEU), Madam Margaret Simpson Nyarkoh (C/R Director's representative), Dr. Michael Danso (Medical Superintendent of Saltpond Government Hospital), Madam Gifty Ankrah (Mfantseman Municipal Health Director, GHS), among others.

At the climax of the ceremony, Dr. Afake officially pronounced the aforementioned two communities "Avoidable Blindness-Free" and consequently unveiled a signpost to commemorate it.

Amprefu and Kyekyewowere happen to be the next community after Asafra to be given this declaration. All these villages are within the Mfantseman District in the Central Region of Ghana. Thanks to OEU, who have made this dream a reality. All the stakeholders present pledged their commitment to work tirelessly to include other communities as soon as they can.