Today, there are an estimated 476 million indigenous peoples worldwide, speaking 4,000 of the world’s languages. No two communities are the same, and neither are their eye care needs. In the U.S. and around the world, Seva partners directly with indigenous communities to co-create eye care interventions. Indigenous partners lead conversations, sharing their knowledge, experiences, lived realities, and challenges in accessing eye care. Together, we collaborate on solutions that lead to culturally competent and lasting eye care programs.

For example, we worked with the Q’eqchi’ people, an indigenous community native to Guatemala, to develop and translate awareness-raising videos into the Q’eqchi’ language. And our Native American Vision website was developed after several sessions of gathering input from our partners on resources that would support them in delivering quality eye care. 

In the U.S., through a new partnership with Minneapolis Public Schools and the Minnesota Vision Health Taskforce, Seva is supporting access to eye care for members of all 11 federally recognized tribes in Minnesota. Through eye screening events, new eye clinics, distribution of eyeglasses, and a community action coalition, hundreds of Natives in these communities have received eye care. We are utilizing patient data from these efforts to examine the benefits of quality eye care for Native students in Minnesota to inform and strengthen our future plans.

We are grateful for the trust and partnership of indigenous communities and know that, together, we can build a more resilient and flourishing world for all.