Seva is a global nonprofit eye care organization that works with local communities around the world to develop self-sustaining programs that preserve and restore sight.
Since 1978, Seva has provided sight-saving surgeries, eyeglasses, medicine, and other eye care services to more than 40 million people in under-served communities.
Above: From left to right – Dr. Nicole Grasset, Dr. Patricia Bath, Dr. G. Natchiar, Dr. Lindsey Marvel, Dr. Ella Gertrude Stanton
Women have played an integral role in the field of eye care throughout history, from the development of new inventions to creating new models of care, to holding key leadership roles – they are transforming the eye care landscape day after day.
Above: Saisiri is one of the many technicians who are now financially independent because of Seva. Just a few years ago, she was an orphan living in Hyderabad, India. Photo by Joe Raffanti.
“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.”
Mother Teresa
One woman alone can create a ripple. When she’s joined by others, she creates a wave that moves the world. We know this because we’ve seen it in action around the world and we see it every day at Seva.
The Executive Director at Seva works diligently to lead the organization with purpose and vision, leaving no stone unturned in our mission to transform lives around the world by restoring sight. The Program Director and Researcher collaborate with partners around the world to implement innovative eye care solutions that address real needs.
Call it a cliché, but when you see it in action, you know you’re witnessing something special. Seva’s partners worldwide have faced some challenging circumstances over the past twelve months, making the provision of critical eye care to people in need more difficult. But thanks to the generosity of supporters like you, when the going got tough, the tough could get going!
Take for example, Shroff’s Charity Eye Hospital (SCEH), one of our partners in Uttar Pradesh, India. When COVID-19 hit India hard last year, many people who needed eye care weren’t able to visit the clinic. So in the town of Naujheel, the clinic’s team took eye care to the people’s doorsteps instead.
A girl in Guatemala has her eyes examined. Photo by Joe Raffanti.
The International Association of Blindness (IAPB) created the Vision Excellence Award to commemorate the end of its 21-year global initiative, VISION 2020: A Right to Sight. In recognition of their life-changing, world-transforming work in the field of humanitarian eye care, IAPB has recognized a total of ten Seva team members and partners with the prize.
“On behalf of the whole Seva family, congratulations to these extraordinary sight leaders and practitioners,” says Kate Moynihan, Executive Director of Seva Foundation. “Seva staff and partners consistently set the standard for patient-centered vision care. Today’s award winners share the commitment and quality of work that brings access to sustainable eye care to millions of individuals and their communities worldwide. I can’t wait to see how – together – we will continue to change the world.”
Thank you for supporting Seva and making these incredible accomplishments possible!
There are 19 million children worldwide under the age of 15 who live with impaired vision. In 2018, moved by this alarming statistic, Seva made a commitment to screen 1 million children and provide all necessary follow-up care by December 2020. This major undertaking was supported by Seva’s corporate partner, MODO, and other Seva supporters.
Participants from Nepal, India, Cambodia, US, and Canada for the launch of Seva’s Operations Research Capacity Building workshop 2020 (ORCB2020) held in Chitwan, Nepal.
At Seva, from our work with eye care professionals, hospitals, and partners in over 20+ countries, we’ve witnessed first hand the transformative power of community health. By partnering directly with the communities we serve to co-create innovative eye care solutions, we can reach more people with the sight-restoring treatment they need and, in turn, transform more lives.
Visualiza, Seva’s partner in Guatemala, is converting ambulances into mobile diagnostic clinics to provide home visits to neighborhoods who otherwise are unable to visit the clinic.
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to be one of the most pressing global health challenges of our time. Seva is thankful for all the brave frontline and essential workers who have tirelessly risked their lives in support of others. We are also thankful for you and your continued support in ensuring that our partners receive the vital resources they need in the face of this crisis.
For most of her life, Shakeela Bibi did not realize she had a vision problem. A 14-year old girl living in Pakistan, Shakeela had to drop out of school after two years because she could not keep up with her peers. She had trouble reading the blackboard and would copy off of other students’ notes instead.
Left: Andy rowing on the river Ganges in Varanasi, India. Right: Dr. Dipankar Mukhopadhyay.
Andrew Allen
Andrew Allen, a California wedding officiant, first learned about Seva at a fundraiser in 2013. Although he originally attended the fundraiser to listen to the music, Andrew left having learned a lot more about Seva and even purchased a few shirts. “If I am going to buy a shirt, I might as well help someone get their sight back.”
We believe that all children should be able to play, learn, and grow. Globally, at least 450 million children have a sight condition that needs treatment, with 90 million children living with some form of sight loss. 448 million children and adolescents have refractive errors. At Seva, we know that to create a world free of avoidable childhood blindness, we must screen children for vision impairment as early as possible and identify and provide treatment to those in need. This means meeting and screening children where they are – at schools, at home, and in their community.