In December 1999 I was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa and was told that I was going blind. Like most 18-year old college freshman, my future wasn’t clear, but I knew it was bright – that no longer seemed to be the case.

I spent the next few years struggling with the inevitable fact that I would no longer be able to see. Questions like “What kind of career will I be able to have?” and “Will I ever find a partner to spend my life with?” filled my head, drowning my spirit.

Then one day in the fall of 2004, I decided not to let blindness control my future, but rather I was.

The following year I finished up college and vowed that I wouldn’t let my sight stop me from achieving my professional goals. Over the next decade I achieved professional and personal goals that I never thought possible – running businesses across the globe, earning my MBA, climbing mountains, and finding love. None of this would have been possible without the incredible support of family, friends, coworkers, and strangers.

Yes, strangers.

I can’t even count the number of strangers who’ve helped me over the years. From filling out “landing cards” at Entebbe Airport, to reading labels at a grocery store. People go out of their way to help.

Once again I’m reaching out for assistance. This time not to help me see, but rather for eighteen thousand Cameroonians.

The Cameroon Cataract Performance Bond is the first Development Impact Bond ever raised on a crowdfunding platform and was developed to tackle the world’s leading cause of vision loss, by raising capital to fund cataract interventions in Cameroon. An integrated cataract program will be implemented by the African Eye Foundation, which is currently setting up the first non-profit high quality eye care service and training institute dedicated to increasing the eye care provision capacity in the region.

I was blessed to call Cameroon home for three years and it will always hold a special place in my heart. I’m asking people to join me in making the Cameroon Cataract Performance Bond a success by getting involved and/or helping spread the word about this great opportunity. I know together, we will be able to achieve this goal.

My vision may be blurrier today, but the future has never looked brighter.

To learn more about the Cameroon Cataract Performance Bond, visit: http://blog.homestrings.com/clearing-path-brighter-future/