By Noreen Connolly
This New York Times "On The Ground/Nicholas D. Kristof" column was published in the June 25, 2011, issue.
Saumya Dave, a student, and Noreen Connolly, a teacher, are the 2011 "Win A Trip" winners and are currently traveling with Nick through parts of North and West Africa. Noreen's fifth post is from Niger.
Sometimes the story becomes more than a story.
Today we went to a village in southern Niger to talk to a man who had suffered from river blindness, an excruciatingly painful disease spread by black flies. The condition often results in blindness but now can be treated, thanks in large part to the work of The Carter Center. It has been virtually eliminated. A success story.
Learn more about the Carter Center's River Blindness Program >
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