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.
Continue reading
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.
Continue readingGlobally, 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.
Continue reading
After receiving her graduate degree in social work, this Southern California native spent her career in community work, clinics, and eventually her own practice. “I like the idea that if you give $50, someone in Nepal who needs eye surgery can get it. This direct exchange was like magic to me,” she shared.
Continue reading
Continue reading“Like many folks, I first learned about Seva back in the late 80s through Ram Dass. I was looking for a service organization whose work expressed my understanding of the Buddhist concept of Right Action. I appreciated the variety of projects and range of people that Seva benefited. I found the gift-giving of donations a wonderful way to spread its work among my family and friends, especially as several struggled with vision problems themselves, and I knew they would relate to the difference it was making in many people’s lives! Since my partner died a few months ago, leaving no will, it has been very challenging to settle her affairs, so I knew that I had to stop procrastinating on updating my own. FreeWill.com has guided me through doing this in a way that is easy, comprehensive and reassuring!”
Safety and quality of care are at the center of everything we do. Our partner, Dr. Samina Zamindar in Bangalore, India, recently opened the doors of her private practice to welcome 11 colleagues from Seva partner institutes for a series of safety and quality initiatives.
This joint program, called Observe, Understand, and Change, educated hospital teams with practical skills to adopt standard operative procedures to improve quality at a grassroots level, avoid medical errors, and make incident reporting a regular standard in medical settings. Two days of intensive group discussions were followed by three days of observation in their area of interest.
Continue readingIf you’ve ever wondered about our vibrant history, the people, ideas and solutions that make the magic of restoring sight possible, and all those untold “Seva stories” you heard through the grapevine – look no further! We dug through 40+ years of rich Seva archives, asked our teams around the world, and are here to give you that exclusive, behind-the-scenes look.
Tune in each week on our YouTube channel and social media platforms for a new edition of What’s That Seva Stuff, hosted by Dr. Suzanne Gilbert, Senior Director of Research and Strategic Opportunities!
Our recently-published report, entitled ‘The Economic and Social Cost of Blindness in India,’ uncovers the cost of vision impairment and the significant need for sustainable eye care. It also shares the solutions we are pioneering in this country. The key takeaway was that India is home to approximately 34 million people who live with blindness or moderate/severe vision impairment, costing the country US $54.4 billion each year.
Continue reading
Travel to Humla is an uphill and challenging journey. This remote Himalayan district in Nepal has no surface roads. It takes weeks to reach on foot from the nearest municipality. Shortage of food is also pervasive – many rely on rice transported from the Government to subsidize. As such, communities here have historically faced greater challenges in accessing education, employment, and healthcare facilities – including eye care.
Led by Ram Prasad Kandel, Seva’s Program Director in Nepal, we completed a week-long trip to support two surgical eye camps & the establishment of a new Vision Center in the area. He documented the journey in his journal and wanted to share the following pages with you. In his own words, “Honestly, we cried – seven people were blind and one was blind for the past five years. It was the first time they had an eye camp there.”
Continue reading
Time, for a child, seems to stand still – especially when waiting for a much-anticipated surprise. For adults, it is another story. Have you ever thought, “I wish time would speed up”?
Planning for the future is key, and at Seva we are looking ahead, planning, and investing in a brighter future for all. That is why we invest your support in self-sustaining eye care solutions that will benefit a community for generations to come. Seva believes everyone deserves access to health resources. And this month, there is a renewed importance to this message as we recognize August as National Make-A-Will-Month!
This month, I invite you to join thousands of others around the country to create a legacy that lasts a lifetime. Seva has partnered with FreeWill to offer a free estate planning tool for our supporters. This easy-to-use tool allows you to create a will or Living Trust to protect your loved ones and provide a brighter future to millions in need by preserving and restoring sight through Seva’s programs. Make-a-will, make-a-difference!
Why create an estate plan, you ask?
Investing in Seva is investing in self-sustaining eye care programs that enable communities to thrive for years to come. I’d be honored if you joined this legacy and the many Seva supporters who choose to leave planned gifts. Watch the video below for more information on how to use FreeWill to meet your estate planning needs, and I invite you to reach out to give@seva.org with any questions.
Continue reading* We won't share your email and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Contact Us Search State Disclosures Privacy Policy Job Opportunities Sign In
Seva Foundation 1786 Fifth Street Berkeley, CA 94710 phone: 510-845-7382 fax: 510-845-7410
Seva Foundation is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. ©2021 Seva Foundation. All rights reserved.