The Numbers

5 days of surgery. 12 hours of operating room productivity per day. 401 cataracts performed by 2 surgeons, 100 of them in a single day.

The African cataracts that are performed in this type of Expeditions are usually according to the classification LOCS III NO-NC > 5 in almost all cases (those of greater hardness) and usually associate other concomitant clinical situations that make them of an extraordinary surgical complexity in a great majority of cases. The surgical environment and ergonomics are far from what we are accustomed to in our usual settings.

The Reflections

1) Happiness and Ethics may not be first world heritage:

• Happiness: the state of mind of the person who feels fully satisfied to enjoy what he or she wants.
• Ethics: branch of philosophy that studies the right or wrong of human behavior.

2) Volunteering may be the most effective way to your best version of yourself:

• Compassion: More intense than Empathy, Compassion is the perception and understanding of the suffering of the Other and the desire to alleviate, reduce or eliminate their suffering completely.
• Philanthropy: Tendency to seek the Good of the People in a disinterested manner, even at the expense of self-interest.

3) Activism may be the most effective way to our best version as a Society:

• Activism: Attitude or behaviour of people participating in movements, especially of a social or political nature.

The Transparency

The exemplary exercise of Transparency in the Management of the Elena Barraquer Foundation is another reason to feel Proud of the Foundation’s work and the guarantee that your Help will have a direct impact on returning the Vision to the World’s Most Needy People.

To access the Report of the Elena Barraquer Foundation click here.

The Duties

1) The Science of Compassion: Interview by Eduardo Punset with Matthieu Ricard. You can view it by clicking here. (sorry only available in Spanish)

2) You may want to start activating your internal chain reaction. To collaborate with the Elena Barraquer Foundation click here.

PS: My eternal thanks to Elena Barraquer, a unique Being for her Vitality and Philanthropy, for discovering the power of altruism as a method to find oneself and change the world.