You already know that love sparks a lot of goodness. When we sprinkle it around, and put our love into action, the world becomes better. And you do it through Seva everyday! Did you know that many of the ‘Originals’ who jump started our mission were also couples in love? The love they carried for each other was put into action towards a greater cause – spreading joy.
This Valentine’s Day, meet a few of these Seva Sweethearts:
Photo: Pristine 5.0 Retinal Camera (formerly Vistaro) in action.
When you think of “disruptive and revolutionary tech,” what comes to mind?
Major companies, start-ups, a laboratory on the brink of discovery – but what about nonprofits?
You read that right, nonprofits. We know nonprofits don’t often come top of mind as being “disruptive,” but we’re here to paint a new picture. Compassion has always been an important driver of innovation at Seva.
At Seva, we invest in a suite of cutting-edge and revolutionary technologies to create a world free of avoidable blindness. Leveraging millions of data points, four decades of experience, and a network of leading public health experts, engineers, and physicians, our best-in-class tech solutions revolutionize the way eye care is delivered worldwide.
“We operate at the scale of a major corporation and the nimbleness of a start-up. Straddling this balance is disrupting the future of ophthalmology and public health – for good”.
– Kate Moynihan, Executive Director, Seva Foundation.
This is the new frontier of compassion driven eye care tech that you support:
They walk the world as ophthalmologists, technicians, nurses, outreach workers, and more.
In reality, they’re heroes.
It takes a village to end avoidable blindness. Surgeons, health administrators, and so many others are crucial links in a patient’s journey to clear sight. We couldn’t do it without them.
But who are these remarkable folks? We’ve found that the best eye care professionals are right next door – members of the local community who understand what’s needed to provide culturally adept care. With your support, we invest in their world-class training at every single level – from health volunteers to highly skilled ophthalmologists. This ensures that local communities will always have access to eye care, even long after Seva’s direct involvement.
We call them the heroes next door. Meet a few of them and see why.
Photo: Mercedes with her mother (left), Sandhya (right).
You create virtuous cycles of joy.
In these busy times, it might be easy to forget how much of a difference you create.
But we, and the people we serve, will never forget.
Your generosity, combined with others like you, made it possible for millions of moms, dads, brothers, sisters, aunts, and uncles halfway across the world to step into 2023 with better lives.
Every time you choose to restore sight you initiate a virtuous cycle of joy that enables people to return to school, work, and support their families and communities. The caretaker can also pursue an independent career once he/she is relieved of the responsibility. At this very moment, 15-year-old Sandhya Dhital from Nepal, who got her sight back, is studying in a classroom. 28-year-old Mercedes Leguizamòn from Peru, who for years struggled to see, is able to support her children again.
I am here to let you know that we hear you, we see you and we are very thankful for your trust in us to do the work we do. Every click, every share, donation, thought, or note received is felt, seen, and heard. Compassion is a cornerstone to how Seva is possible, and how we set in motion the circle of joy.
Last year 3,594,344 individuals’ lives changed for the better. 3.5 million moms, dads, brothers, sisters, aunties, uncles, grandmothers, grandfathers, and friends received vital eye care services, medicine, and treatment through Seva.
This year, we also crossed the 50 million mark of people served with eye care services through Seva and partners since 1978. This achievement rests on over four decades of pioneering sustainable eye care solutions with some of the world’s most compassionate, smart, and talented team of staff, partners, and supporters – this includes YOU!
Read more about the specific activities, analytics, and personal stories of Seva’s work this past year. We are another step closer to ending the public health crisis of avoidable blindness – Seva’s impact, affordability, and sustainability is a big reason why Nicholas Kristof honored us with the 2021 Grand Holiday Impact Prize. As he said, “it feels miraculous to watch people regain their sight, but it’s a miracle that we can all make happen. Seva Foundation, the Grand Prize Winner of this year’s Holiday Impact Prize, is transforming people’s lives for as little as $50 per cataract surgery. Seva works in more than 20 countries abroad and in Native American communities in the United States, and nothing is more joyous than seeing the impact of its work on people who had thought they would never see again.”
From the world-wide Seva team, Happy World Sight Day!
Each year, on this day we recommit ourselves to closing the gap between those with and without access to eye care.
90% of people who live with vision loss are in developing countries where eye care is limited or nonexistent. What does that mean? A life without sight = a life often limited in education, employment, and independence that can ultimately throw families into cycles of poverty. For us, solving this crisis boils down to two things:
Together, we hit a major milestone: Over 50 million people, just like Bhoora, have now received Seva-supported eye care services since 1978. People who can go back to school, work, support their families and lead their lives fearlessly – you make this magic possible every day. On behalf of them, our teams, and partners worldwide, thank you!
Science, data, and comprehensive public health solutions work best when coupled with compassion, community, and a little fun. Want to put a stat on this theory? Since 1978, over 50 million people have received eye care services through your support!
Photo: Bhoora Kol with his wife in their mud hut. Photograph by Apurva Shroff
Your support, through the power of sight, brings joy, independence, and freedom to communities worldwide. Bhoora Kol, a 61-year-old lively and jovial man from Madhya Pradesh, India, knows this well. He works diligently as a daily wage laborer on nearby farms, earning less than two dollars a day with just 15 days of employment per month. He lives with his wife in a mud hut, and his four sons and ten grandchildren live nearby in the same village.
Art is transformative – it enables us to see the world through a new lens and make a difference through it.
William Wolk, a talented artist, soul, and friend of Seva, knew this firsthand. His realistic portraits of former U.S. Presidents, the Dalai Lama, and Paramahansa Yogananda, among others, can be found in archives, museums, and private collections around the world. Sadly, in May, Wolk passed away after an enduring and brave battle with cancer. He is survived by his wife Marie.
A First-of-Its-Kind Plan to Eliminate Avoidable Blindness in Guatemala
Globally, 1.1 billion people live with vision impairment. In remote communities and developing countries, where access to eye care is limited, this can lead to generations of hardship. Today, we stand at an important moment in history – the beginning of the end of avoidable blindness, first in Guatemala, then across the world.