Which cause needs the most attention? Who is the most needy of the lot? Where will my money make the most impact? These are the kind of questions I am sure come to each and every one of you as you think about donating. Based on our experience, education and instinct, we tend to prefer a particular cause over another. Some may choose to support education, others the elderly, or maybe even the disabled. Every cause is important and they all need their due attention. However, to answer the question accurately, it is vital for donors to have all the required information. What exactly is the problem? How many people are affected by it? What can be done to help? What can one do to alleviate this problem?

To address these relevant issues, I will talk about one specific cause each month and help you understand more about the same. The cause that I have selected for this month is Cataract.

So what exactly is cataract? Let me try and explain with visual examples. Isn’t it annoying, when heavy rain blurs your windshield? Or when a hovering mosquito finds its resting place on your TV screen? Surely you would prefer an uninterrupted view in these situations. This is the plight of a person affected by cataract. The lenses in our eyes are made up of water and protein. As we age, the protein may come together and cloud the lenses. This clouding is known as cataract. By the age of 75 most people have cataracts that affect vision.

In India, there are about 7 million people affected by this condition. However, it is curable and doesn’t have to be endured. So why are so many people rendered helpless by it? There are plenty of reasons, ranging from lack of access to lack of awareness about the condition. But the primary cause for the prevalence of this condition has to be the incapability of the affected to afford expensive surgical procedures. A cataract surgery generally costs about Rs.15,000 depending on the city and the type of cataract. These high rates are beyond the reach of some unfortunate people, who are then forced to live with their disability. The elderly are considered useless without their eyesight and are incapable of even doing household chores. Hence, most of them do not get the support they need, which makes life expectancy after cataract severely low.

Thankfully some NGOs, with the help of donors, have made the treatment available at subsidised costs. These procedures are now available for less than Rs. 2,500. The work done by these NGOs has gone a long way in spreading awareness and alleviating the problem. One such remarkable NGO that deserves mention is the Aravind Eye Hospital.  What makes this organisation different is that only 30% of its patients pay and they pay lesser than what they would pay elsewhere. The remaining 70% are treated almost free of cost. The most astounding fact is that they yet manage to make 35% operating profit; which is then utilised in the expansion of the organisation.

Many organisations like Aravind Eye Hospital, have made it their personal mission to eliminate the effects of cataract.  In order to make their efforts a success it is important for us to understand the significance of this cause and not turn a blind eye to it. With the right amount of support, every person affected by cataract shall be able to avail appropriate and timely treatment.

Disclaimer: Dhaval Udani is the CEO of GiveIndia which is running a campaign for providing cataract surgeries to 200 poor & elderly folks. 

In this first post of mine, I would like to wish all readers of Forbes India, a very happy new year. I know I am somewhat late in my wishes but hey what the hell, there are yet 345 days to go in this year. A lot of time. A lot of time to make resolutions. And a lot of time to implement them

So for once I hope you have not made your resolution for the new year or have space for some more. A lot of us make resolutions to either become more disciplined (e.g. I will go to the gym, I will get up at 6am everyday, etc.) or grow professionally and personally (e.g. I will become manager this year, I will take 2 weeks of holiday this year, I will learn to play the guitar etc.) or try and leave some addiction (e.g. I will stop smoking, I will have only 2 cups of tea a day etc.). Do you see a certain trend in most of these resolutions? They are all about “I�. Does this ring true with your new year resolutions?

I propose that this year, you make a resolution not about “I� but about “them�. You make a resolution not for yourself but for others. I would like to propose that this year we all make a resolution to increase giving in 2012. If you have’nt started giving, you could resolve to give away 1% of your income this year towards charitable causes. If you already give 1% of your income, you could start giving 2% this year. And if you are already giving 2% of your income, you could resolve to convince a near and dear one who does not give to at least start giving away 1% of their income.

While many of you I am sure are excited by this, I am sure many are wondering “how will it help me�. In our religions, its often said that if you do good for others, good will also befall you. But apart from that let me tell you how it will help you. For those of you who are already giving, you have most certainly expressed a joy in giving. A joy of helping a person in need, a joy of seeing a smile on a child’s face who has gotten a chance to go to school, a joy of helping a women earn her livelihood. While giving is certainly more difficult than receiving, as a very result of it, its also far more satisfying. This has been proven by science that giving makes us happy. But don’t take my word for it. Ask your friends who give regularly how they felt, the first time they started giving?

Secondly, it will do wonders for your family as you decide with your family on how you want to give – to what causes, to what organization for what purpose. It will create a unique bond in your family – something in which you and your children are equal partners (strongly recommend reading a book about a family bonding over its giving in The Power of Half) Why do I say 1%, 2% and not something smaller? Because joy comes in giving away something substantial not in giving away some amount which is not meaningful for you. If you give away a small amount, you will not experience the joy of giving, you will feel as if you have avoided or got rid of a problem much like the happiness you experience while cleaning your home and getting rid of that old sofa or the old mattress. Thus its important to feel a sense of sacrifice in your giving if you truly want to experience a joy in it.

So Happy New Year everyone and lets make 2012 a Year of Giving.