In India, thousands of people each year suffer from treatable eye conditions.
The Sankara Eye Foundation (SEF) attempts to solve this problem by paying for eye surgeries and transforming these people’s lives.
Sophomores Mounika Narayanan and Meghna Chakraborty, along with Narayanan’s sister and two other girls from local schools, held a dance performance in the McAfee Center on Sept. 23 to support the foundation, raising more than $16,000.
All five of the girls have been participating in an Indian form of dance called Bharatanatyam for more than 10 years and have performed for many crowds in the past.
They sold tickets to the show, called “Radiance: Vision 501,” for $10 and asked people to pledge at the performance as well.
Narayanan explained that the program took a lot of coordination and cooperation from each of the girls.
“[We] learned several group pieces and practiced our solo items for this dance performance which raised money for SEF,” Narayanan said.
Before the show, the girls had a goal of raising $15,000 to provide surgery for over 500 eyes with the money they raised.
According to Chakraborty, after the program, they discovered that they had gone beyond their goal of “opening 501 eyes.”  However, in appreciation of their efforts, the audience ended up raising between $16,000 and $17,000 for the charity.
All the girls were extremely proud of this accomplishment.
Chakraborty said it involved a lot of commitment, not to mention late night practices.
Narayanan  agreed, explaining that the program took  many months of work and dedication, as the girls spent countless hours practicing their dances.
However, Narayanan explained that since she and the other girls enjoy dancing, it did not seem like work.
In addition, Narayanan felt dancing was a good way to give back and help those who were unable to pay for their surgeries.
“It is an amazing cause which granted free eye surgeries to people who can’t afford it,” she said.
Chakraborty also explained that the program helped each of the girls challenge themselves and stay in touch with their dance, and it was nice to use their hobby for a good cause.
Both Chakraborty andNarayanan agreed that the opportunity to put on a show to help those in need truly paid off.
“It gave me a feeling of purpose and great pride that I had contributed to giving underprivileged communities the gift of sight,” Narayanan said. u

For 14 years, SEF has been building and supporting eye clinics in India, especially in poor rural areas. To donate to the cause, go to giftofvision.org