Tag: Kate Moynihan

Letter from the CEO/Executive Director – Spring 2026

Posted on by Kate Moynihan

Something has shifted. After decades of restoring sight – one surgery, one pair of glasses, one village at a time, Seva has crossed a threshold and I want you to be the first to understand what that means.

The research coming out of Guatemala this year stopped me cold. When we gave coffee harvesters eyeglasses, productivity jumped 8% within days. Every dollar spent returned $30 in combined wages and farm income. That result didn’t come from a new technology or a capital campaign. It came from a systems approach we have been quietly perfecting for 47 years; the disciplined belief that if you build the right infrastructure, train the right people, and measure what actually matters, the returns compound in ways that surprise even us.

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Bob Weir: Letting the Legacy Proceed by Its Own Design

Posted on by Kate Moynihan
Photo: Grateful Dead playing first Seva foundraiser concert in Oakland, California in 1979.
Photo: Grateful Dead playing the first Seva fundraiser concert in Oakland, California in 1979.

In a recent tribute, SF Gate contributor Nicholas G. Meriwether wrote: “The Grateful Dead folk motif describes the obligation the living owe the dead, a belief found in cultures around the world. It tells us that when we honor that obligation, we will be repaid in ways we cannot anticipate or imagine. An ancient expression of faith, it urges us to embrace life as a continuum – one that includes those who have passed on and who rely on the living to steward their legacy.”

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The Power of Showing Up – With You

Posted on by Kate Moynihan

On my desk sits a photo of Milka, a three-year-old girl from Burundi who received her first pair of glasses years ago thanks to supporters like you. In the picture, she wears bright pink frames that rest a little wide on her small face, and tucked over her arm is a tiny pocketbook – an accessory that somehow makes her look both playful and unmistakably determined. There’s a confidence in her expression, a look that tells me we will all be working for her someday.

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A Year of Hope, a Year of Sight, a Year with You

Posted on by Kate Moynihan
Photo by Jon Kaplan.

When we restore sight, we don’t just change how people see the world—we change what the world can be.

In 2025, Seva reached more people than ever before—restoring sight, strengthening communities, and proving what’s possible when compassion drives action.

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$1 Trillion Lost to Poor Vision – See the Difference You’re Making

Posted on by Kate Moynihan
Photo by Jon Kaplan.
Photo by Jon Kaplan.

Every day, I’m reminded that restoring sight is about more than vision – it brings back opportunity, dignity, and hope. Thanks to you, Seva’s story is one of progress: children are learning again, parents are returning to work, and entire communities are thriving.

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Tune in: Conversations with Kate – Your Good Does Great in the World

Posted on by Seva Foundation

Seva CEO and Executive Director Kate Moynihan recently sat down with Seva’s Regional Director in India, Kuldeep Singh, Seva Board Chair Dr. Mariano Yee, and trainer Sunita Arora, who has helped launch the careers of over 2,000 eye care professionals. 

The four talked candidly about the powerful ripple effects of your generosity — how restoring sight uplifts families, empowers local health care workers, and builds a sustainable future for eye care.

Seva featured in USA Today and International Business Times

Posted on by Seva Foundation
Savitri Joshi photo by Joe Raffanti.
Photo by Joe Raffanti.

In an informative discussion with International Business Times, Seva Executive Director Kate Moynihan makes the case for eye care as a critical solution to global poverty. Every $1 invested in eye health generates $36 in benefits across society. She also spoke with USA Today about Seva’s approach to building self-sustaining eye care systems globally – and our plans in Guatemala to eliminate avoidable blindness in the country.

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CEO and Executive Director Kate Moynihan on how Seva intends to meet the challenges of the year ahead.

Posted on by Kate Moynihan
Spirit of Service: “Investing in human beings is investing in a transformational system.” – Sunita Arora, Seva Trainer

Some years test our strength. Others reveal it.

This past year reminded me again that Seva’s story is one of resilience – not just the resilience of the communities we serve but of a mission that continues to thrive through challenge, change, and time. And at the heart of that resilience is you.

When we first opened a modest Vision Center in the Himalayan hills of Nepal in 1989, we didn’t have a roadmap – just a vision (pun intended) of what was possible. Today, that vision has grown into a worldwide network of 266 Vision Centers, providing permanent access to critical care for over 29 million people. In the last year alone, our partner hospitals in more than 20 countries delivered quality eye care to over 7 million individuals. What sustains this work isn’t just funding or infrastructure – it’s belief. Yours.

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