A vision to bring light to the darkness

In 1925 with a crowd of people in front of her, Helen Keller gave a challenge at the Lions Clubs International Convention.

Claiming it to be an opportunity knocking at the Lions Clubs’ door, she urged them to begin a crusade against darkness. The woman, who was blind and deaf, dreamed of a day when there would be no preventable blindness and no blind people unaided.

Nearly 100 years later, Lions Clubs around the world are continuing that vision, and people like Buna Dahal are an inspiration to the worthy cause.

Holyoke Lions Club member Mark Meusborn, who is blind, introduced Dahal to a room full of Lions at their regular meeting in the Lions Den Thursday, Oct. 10.

Meusborn and Dahal have become acquainted with each other while attending the national convention of the National Federation of the Blind.

“She’s an inspiration to a lot of people,” said Meusborn.

Dynamic Buna is an appropriate name for Dahal’s inspirational speaking venture. The woman, who is small in stature, said, “Dynamite comes in a small package.”

With a slight accent, Dahal explained that she was born blind in her home country of Nepal. She’s had a couple surgeries, including being one of the first young girls to be operated on in a flying eye hospital called Orbis International, which she said is a program that, ironically, has been sponsored by Lions Clubs.

Dahal said God helped her go to college in America 30 years ago, and she is thankful for the opportunities she’s had in this country in the following three decades.

“I teach people nothing is impossible,” she said. “We show others how to realize their dreams,” and for Dahal, it’s not just one dream. It’s layers upon layers of dreams.

Dahal began Dynamic Buna in 2007, but she’s also had years of experience as a person who helped blind people find jobs — the blind leading the blind, so to speak.

“If a child is born blind or someone loses eyesight, don’t shutter them behind the doors,” she said. “Give them the light.”

She strongly believes in the philosophy of the National Federation of the Blind, including:

— Believe in yourself.

— Don’t think of yourself as a victim.

— We not only receive, we give.

— As ambassadors of NFB, we live in communities and teach other blind people how to be confident members of society.

Meusborn is one of those ambassadors, too. He explained to his fellow Lions how he travels to NFB conventions by himself. He said it’s important to ask people for help while also being independent.

For example, he likes to board airplanes at the same time as everyone else instead of when those with disabilities are allowed to board. He chuckled when he said people have offered him wheelchairs in the past. “My legs work just fine,” he said with a smile.

However, he should have remembered to ask his sisters what color his new suitcase is so that he could have someone help him pick it up at his destination. The crowd of Lions laughed at this, including several of Meusborn’s relatives who came to meet Dahal.

Dahal has traveled internationally for her speaking engagements, and she has seen how the way America promotes people with disabilities with respect and dignity is spreading across the world.

When asked if she would like to have her sight back, Dahal tells people, “To be honest with you, I don’t want it.”

“All I see are the beautiful things in the world,” she continued.

“I see you in my heart,” she told the Lions.

See how you can help

Holyoke Lions Club has boxes around town where you can take unwanted eyeglasses, frames and lenses.

Melissa Memorial Hospital
Family Practice of Holyoke
Viaero
Holyoke Credit Union
Holyoke General Store
First Pioneer National Bank
Lions Den

For questions, contact Bob Malesich at 970-571-1067.