Every day, because of you, more people are seeing clearly – some for the first time ever.
Continue readingGood news from Seva
Tag: Guatemala
A Clearer Future: Pachalum, Guatemala’s New Vision Center
In Pachalum, Guatemala, a proud rural community of hardworking farmers and expert weavers united by shared traditions, a new Vision Center is opening doors to clearer sight and brighter futures.
Continue readingThe Art of Seeing
Photo of Sebastiani by Joe Raffanti.
To sew is to imagine what could be – how vibrant green cotton and purple thread might come together to create something beautiful. For Sebastiani Ramos Quilaja, a warm-hearted K’iche’ woman with a gift for sewing, it was a way to tell stories, preserve her Guatemalan tradition, and bring joy.
Continue readingA letter from Pristine 5.0
Dear Seva and Remidio,
I was just soaking in the sights and sounds of Bengaluru, India when, bam, I got the call we Pristine 5.0 cameras wait for – the Burundi eye clinic was finally ready for my arrival.
Continue readingAll smiles for 15-year-old Emily after a sight-restoring surgery!
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.
Continue readingPartnering with Indigenous Communities
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.
Continue readingHistory is being made in Quiche, Guatemala
We’re making history together!
Welcome to the first eye hospital in Quiche, Guatemala.
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.
Continue readingTwo-eyed seeing: International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples
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
Continue readingNew Vision Centers: Mobilizing Towards Eye Health Equity
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.
Elvis Costello has a Message for You
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!
