More and more young people like Savina have been registering as potential cornea donors in recent years, said Eros Rosikin of Bank Mata Indonesia. Each month, the bank sees around 20 new potential donors, commonly aged between 20 and 50, Rosikin said.
t was almost pitch black; nothing was in sight. Seconds later, however, colors started to become visible as 19-year-old Savina Monica slowly opened her pair of perfectly-functioning eyes.
"Ever since I was a kid, I'd tried to imagine how it felt to be blind," she told The Jakarta Post.
What Savina imagined was an everyday reality for millions of Indonesians suffering from blindness.
They included 3 percent of the country's above 50-year-old population, according to Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness (RAAB) data collected between 2014 and 2016 in 15 provinces across the country.
Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.
Quickly share this news with your network—keep everyone informed with just a single click!
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
Get the best experience—faster access, exclusive features, and a seamless way to stay updated.