Hussaini Adam is a carpenter in his 50s who lives in Sharada, Nigeria. For years, he’d been running a successful carpentry business and providing for his family. But recently, things became difficult when he started struggling to see up close.
At first, he couldn’t read the letters on his phone easily. But the real trouble was at work: He couldn’t read the small lines on his tape measure anymore, which made getting accurate cuts nearly impossible. He grew frustrated because his high standards for craftsmanship seemed to be slipping. He even wondered whether he’d have to retire from carpentry early and try to find a different way to earn a living.
But quitting wasn’t an option. Hussaini supports his wives and children, and there would be no other breadwinner.
Fortunately, he heard about a new vision screening program at the nearby Fadullulah Medicine Store. This privately owned shop uses Maisha Meds’ software in its business, and also runs one of its health programs through the same mobile app—a vision program that brings screening and affordable glasses into community pharmacies, supported by the Livelihood Impact Fund.
At the store, Hussaini got checked out. They quickly figured out why he was having difficulty seeing: presbyopia, an age-related loss of near focus that impacts a majority of adults over 40. They fitted him with a simple pair of reading glasses.
The moment he put them on, everything changed. The smile on his face was huge. He could instantly read the text on his phone and, more importantly, he could see every tiny line on his measuring tape clearly again. It wasn’t just fixing his sight; it was giving Hussaini Adam his confidence and his livelihood back.
Emmanuel Mshelia is a Customer Experience Associate at Maisha Meds, based in Kano, Nigeria. Photographed by Grace Aduak, a Program Associate based in Kaduna, Nigeria.
