Dear Friends,
Springtime brings a sense of renewal, and after a year of uncertainty with COVID-19 looming over everyone’s fate, many parts of the world can breathe a collective sigh of relief. Here in the US, with the rollout of various vaccines, I am reminded that in many parts of the rest of the world, people are still struggling with COVID, access to care, and even more significant health challenges due to the various mutations. Scientists have moved mountains; yet we must ensure that the work to save lives continues. For Seva, the work continues with safety first, as we provide life-saving and essential eye care needs to some of the world’s most marginalized communities.
The Lancet Global Health, a leading journal in international public health, released a report sponsored by Seva Foundation on global blindness and co-written by one of our founders and Sr. Director of Research, Dr. Suzanne Gilbert. The study concludes that 90% of vision impairments can be treated. It also concludes that our efforts in sustainable, evidence-based programming interventions are some of the best ways to ensure that we end avoidable blindness in our lifetime.
Through our worldwide network, Seva Foundation continues to open new vision centers, support job creation, build the capacity of our partners and develop new technology that will increase access and affordability of care. (Learn about our efforts in the advancement and innovation in the realm of HIV/AIDS – introducing our new retinal camera that saves lives!)
Along with hope, this year has started filling with the joy of music. Indian-American singing/dancing group Soor Aur Saptak held their stunning annual benefit for Seva in February, marking ten years of heartfelt support for our programs (see page 3). In March, we featured on Facebook various musical performances of unreleased archival footage from our past benefit concerts for our third virtual “Sing Out for Seva” benefit concert. The response was so positive, we extended the event from a weekend in March to ten days in April.
Without fear of exaggeration, the entire global team at Seva Foundation is profoundly grateful to have meaningful work that serves such a noble mission. I know firsthand how dedicated and hard-working the Seva Foundation team is and how hard-working, fearless, and dedicated our partner network is. And yet, this past year, I’ve seen all of us double down and work harder than ever to fully honor your trust in our promise to help transform the world by restoring sight. Thank you for believing in us, supporting us, and being there – at our side during such a turbulent and challenging time.
Yours in Service,
Kate Moynihan
Executive Director
About the author
Kate Moynihan
Kate Moynihan is an impassioned leader and decision-maker who has overseen programs in networked organizations and social enterprises in resource-constrained settings, internationally and in the United States. She is a catalyst for institutional and systems change, partnering successfully with diverse international organizations to deliver world-class leadership for mission-based social justice around the globe. Throughout Kate’s career, she has shown an unwavering commitment to improving the lives of people living in disadvantaged, marginalized segments of the world. Kate currently serves as CEO / Executive Director of the Seva Foundation, a non-profit organization based in Berkeley, California that transforms lives by restoring sight to individuals in areas with limited access to eye care.
