Samuel Kwizera knew he wanted to make a difference in his home of Burundi. He was a General Practitioner in the military and witnessed how bad eye disease and untreated cataracts were in his country. He wanted to do more, so Dr. Kwizera signed up for a class to learn Cirugía manual de catarata con incisión pequeña (MSICS) at HelpMeSee’s partner in China, the Eye Hospital Wenzhou Medical University.
Burundi es muy pobre. El país fue designado como el lugar menos feliz del mundo por el Informe Mundial de la Felicidad 2018. Al igual que muchos países del mundo en desarrollo, Burundi tiene una escasez de oftalmólogos que conduce a una acumulación de personas en espera de cirugía de cataratas. Aunque para nosotros las cataratas pueden considerarse una "etapa de la vida", muchas personas en África pierden la visión simplemente porque no tienen acceso a un cirujano de cataratas. Los que no pueden ver, no pueden trabajar y se vuelven dependientes de los demás. Pierden las ganas de vivir.
But HelpMeSee is changing that with our MSICS training program for those who want to help, like Dr. Kwizera. Many Burundians live in rural areas and cannot travel to the cities for cataract surgery. These conditions make MSICS and HelpMeSee’s simulation-based training program a sustainable solution to address cataract blindness in Burundi and elsewhere.
"La cirugía manual de cataratas con pequeñas incisiones es perfecta para países como Burundi. No requiere equipos especiales para operar en los campos de extensión que viajan a las zonas rurales para ayudar a los necesitados."
Por eso el Dr. Kwizera es un pionero. Será uno de los pocos oftalmólogos de Burundi que sepa realizar MSICS. Su dedicación transformará la vida de aquellos donde las cataratas no tratadas y la falta de oftalmólogos hacen que miles de personas pierdan la vista. Estos avances vitales sólo pueden llevarse a cabo con su apoyo.
Done hoy mismo para que más especialistas puedan aprender la Cirugía Manual de Cataratas de Pequeña Incisión y ayudar a los ciegos de cataratas.
Dr. Samuel Kwizera’s pioneering journey is a powerful reflection of what’s possible when global health efforts prioritize sustainable, skills-based solutions to cataract blindness. As the first MSICS-trained cataract surgeon in Burundi through HelpMeSee’s simulation-based program, Dr. Kwizera is not only restoring vision—he’s restoring independence, mobility, and hope to communities that have long struggled with limited access to affordable eye care. His commitment exemplifies HelpMeSee’s mission to address the root causes of preventable blindness by investing in local talent rather than relying on short-term surgical missions. By equipping regional surgeons with the skills and technology they need—especially through Manual Small Incision Cataract Surgery (MSICS)—HelpMeSee helps build permanent, scalable healthcare infrastructure in underserved nations like Burundi.
Dr. Kwizera’s story is one of many that illustrate the real-world impact of MSICS training on patients and communities. For more stories from the frontlines of global eye health, we invite you to explore our HelpMeSee Vision for All Blog, where we regularly share insights from our training centers, partner hospitals, and the dedicated surgeons leading the fight against cataract blindness. Additionally, if you’re interested in supporting our mission or connecting with our global community, be sure to visit our Events page to learn about upcoming conferences, awareness campaigns, and donor opportunities. Together, we can continue to empower professionals like Dr. Kwizera and expand access to sight-restoring surgeries for millions of people around the world.
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