Safina is a gentle nine-year-old child, the eldest of five siblings—four sisters and one younger brother. Belonging to a Baloch family originally from Jacobabad, Baluchistan, Safina and her family now live on the outskirts of Karachi in search of livelihood and survival.
Her father works as a daily-wage laborer on construction sites, spending long, exhausting days doing hard physical work just to ensure there is food on the table. Her mother, equally resilient, works as a domestic helper in a nearby affluent neighborhood while also caring for her children. In this struggle for survival, responsibility fell early on Safina’s young shoulders. While her parents went out each day to earn their meagre wages, Safina stayed behind to look after her younger siblings.
But Safina was silently fighting a battle of her own.
She was born with congenital cataracts, a condition that steadily dimmed her world. Simple tasks became overwhelming. Moving around the house, caring for her siblings, even recognizing faces was a challenge. Often scolded for being “lazy” or slow, Safina endured quietly, unable to explain what she herself barely understood.
During a recent visit to her paternal grandmother—whom she is deeply attached to—Safina finally broke down. Through tears, she confessed that she wasn’t careless or unwilling to help; she simply could not see properly. That evening, her grandmother spoke to Safina’s father about her condition. Heartbroken yet helpless, he admitted that affording treatment was beyond his means when meeting daily expenses itself was a struggle.
Refusing to accept this as Safina’s fate, her grandmother resolved to help. Determined that her granddaughter should have the same chance at a happy and productive life as her other grandchildren, she brought Safina to LRBT Korangi.
There, Safina received timely cataract treatment—completely free of cost.
Today, Safina’s world is bright again. Her sight has been restored, and with it, her childhood. She can now move confidently, help at home, attend school, and play joyfully with her siblings. The tears of frustration have been replaced with laughter and hope.
Safina’s journey is not just one child’s story—it represents the impact of LRBT’s mission and the lives transformed through compassion and care. As LRBT celebrates its 61 millionth patient milestone, Safina stands as a powerful reminder that restoring sight means restoring dignity, opportunity, and childhood itself.