Villagers to ensure light in 1,200 lives

THRISSUR: In a noble gesture, 600 residents of Kandassankadavu, a small village in Thrissur district, would donate their eyes by signing the consent letters on Sunday.
Office-bearers of the St Vincent de Paul Society Area Council, organisers of the event, told reporters that members of 168 families would donate their eyes at a function to be held at the St Mary's Forane Church, Kandassankadavu on Sunday evening.
"We are spreading a message – ‘Let our eye see the world even after we die,’ ‘let the eyes of a person give sight to two persons.’ Sunday’s ceremony is just a beginning of our ambitious project. Our aim is to encourage all the 72,000 families in our locality to donate their eyes and kick start a new movement in society," explained president of the council PR Paulson.
Organisers said the eye donation drive is organised to commemorate the 350th death anniversary of St Vincent de Paul. The programme would be inaugurated by former minister and Congress leader VM Sudheeran. The consent letter signed by the donors would be handed over to the council president in the function.
KD Joy, secretary of the council, said the idea of encouraging locals for donating eyes was in the plan for quite some time.