At just 15, Emily faced a life-changing challenge when she suddenly lost her sight after years of watery, itchy eyes. Unable to attend school or work, she spent months at home, unsure of what her future might hold.
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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.
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One step in Quiche, Guatemala, and you’ll be met by its people’s extraordinary warmth, generosity, and kindness. One of Guatemala’s most populous departments, it’s where almost one million people from diverse indigenous Mayan communities, call home. Situated in the central highlands and surrounded by two mountain ranges, Quiche is as isolated as it is beautiful. Most rely on agriculture and textiles for their livelihood. Along with this remoteness comes poverty and a lack of services, created in the aftermath of years of civil unrest. Essential health care, including vision, is simply not a reality for the majority of people who live here.
But through science, sustainable public health infrastructure, and your support – a difference is being made.
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On August 9, join Seva in celebrating International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. Since the late 70s, Seva has been honored to work alongside, learn from, and co-create sustainable eye care programs that benefit indigenous communities. Key to our success has been combining the strengths of indigenous culture, knowledge and ways of living with the latest science.
One way we achieve this is through two-eyed seeing, an approach first developed from the teachings of Chief Charles Labrador of Acadia First Nation, and later expanded on Mi’kmaq Elders, Dr. Albert and Dr. Murdena Marshall from Eskasoni First Nation. As published in the British Columbia Medical Journal, two-eyed seeing invites us to “see from one eye with the strengths of Indigenous knowledges and ways of knowing, and from the other eye with the strengths of Western knowledges and ways of knowing, and to use both of these eyes together for the benefit of all.” 1
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Last year, Seva and partners established 30 new vision centers across Bangladesh, Guatemala, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Peru, and the United States. Of these, we are thrilled to share that 26 have been inaugurated.
Vision Center inaugurations are attended by local leaders who introduce the eye professionals and paraprofessionals to the people they serve. By doing so, they build trust and promote the importance of proper eye care. It also helps to normalize eye care throughout the region and spread the word that treatment and care are now accessible.
Watch this amazing video kicked off by Elvis Costello, featuring lots of Seva friends, and music courtesy of Seva Ambassador Jackson Browne. They’re helping us promote Guatemala Brillando, our plan that will end avoidable blindness in the country within 10 years.
Watch and share this video with your networks – the more people who see it, the more attention our Guatemala Brillando initiative receives. Thank you for spreading the Seva love!
In the early 70s, a series of experiences – from reading Ram Dass’s “Be Here Now,” to being a fan of The Grateful Dead, to learning about Wavy Gravy – led Terrie Velasquez to Seva. She’s a firm believer in giving back to communities, and for her, the stars aligned with Seva.
“I knew that Seva worked in many countries, and I knew Seva held many of my own personal values. SEVA = selfless service.”
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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.
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!
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.
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