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“Seva has given so much help to so many thousands of people for so many years — such a wonderful example of love in action.”
Bonnie Raitt
Singer / Songwriter
"Seva has made an extraordinary contribution to the world — not only through their
international programs, but here in some of the most impoverished communities in North America, on Native American reservations. Thank you Seva."
Jackson Browne
Singer / Songwriter
"Seva takes the impulse towards generosity and turns it into compassionate action that helps people in real need. I honor my friends and relations by giving to Seva in their name — the entire world benefits. I hope you'll join me."
Peter Coyote
Actor / Writer
"Compassion and caring for people in need - that's simply a moral necessity. But it's not
always easy to do. Seva makes it easy. They know how to put your donations to work in ways that truly benefit people."
Joan Baez
Singer / Humanitarian Activist
"When we met the folks at Seva, we knew we were among kindred spirits, joining to bring people together in service to others. Whether preventing blindness in Nepal, assisting native peoples in Guatemala and Mexico, or helping our own Native Americans, Seva has been there to help alleviate suffering and improve people's lives. Long may they rock!"
Phil Lesh
The Grateful Dead
"Seva's efforts create hope and happiness worldwide for so many people in difficult conditions. I've always been amazed and cheered by their good works and I've been very happy to help them in their fundraising efforts."
Bruce Hornsby
Singer / Songwriter
“I admire Seva's spirit of innovation. Seva is constantly looking for new ideas that can benefit the world, especially the poor, and they aren't afraid to try something that no one has ever tried before."
Dr. Muhammad Yunus
Nobel Prize Winner / Seva Partner / Founding Chairman of Grameen Health Services
“I congratulate Seva Foundation for the magnificent work they continue to do."
Odetta
Legendary Folk Singer
“Seva has done an incredible job all over the world helping people who really need it. I am proud to be one of the many who followed Wavy and his friends down this particular yellow brick road.”
David Crosby
Singer / Songwriter
“Such dedication to others — how could you not love Seva and what they accomplish? Well done!”
Graham Nash
Singer / Songwriter
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Seeing the World Through A Child's Eyes
In less time than it takes to read this article, a child will lose
their eyesight.
One every minute.
The child will likely be living in
poverty, struggling for survival
in one of the many parts of the
world where access to even the
most basic of eye care services
continue to be out of reach.
Each year an additional 500,000
children will lose their eyesight.
A child's life expectancy can
decline dramatically if they go
blind. The United States Agency
for International Development
(USAID) estimates that half of
children in the developing world
will die within one year of losing
their vision.
Seva's Pediatric Eye
Care Initiative
Around the globe there are
an estimated 19 million children
under the age of 15 who are
visually impaired.
Seva and our donors know
that 80% of this blindness is
preventable or curable, and that
when a child's sight is restored
— their life is changed forever.
This is why Seva is dedicated to
the expansion of pediatric eye
care services around the globe.
Seva builds the capacity of local
eye care programs to serve children living in the many of the
world's poorest communities.
From children living in remote
villages of Cambodia and
Bangladesh, to students in
underserved Native American
communities, Seva's programs
provide vital eye care that
reaches those who until now
were unable to access even
the most basic of services.
Through school screenings
in poor communities and the
distribution of free and low-cost
eyeglasses, at-risk students are
now able to see the blackboard
and read the pages of their
textbooks. We know that good
vision is a key factor in their
education. With the world in
focus, these children now have
a fair chance to succeed in life
and to achieve a better future.
Seva's pediatric screenings also
regularly identify many children
who require more complex
intervention. Thanks to Seva
donors like you, over 130,000
children are provided with
eye care screenings each
year and thousands are
provided with surgery to
prevent future blindness.
On behalf of the millions
of children who have been
screened over Seva's 38 years
of service, we thank you for
your ongoing support of this
important work.
Related Articles
Care for Children
Today, more than 90 million children and adolescents live with some form of visual impairment. Most of these kids live in areas of the world where even the most basic eye care services continue to be out of reach. Combatting child blindness is one of the most cost effective health interventions and kids who have their sight restored are given an average of 50 years of sight.
Seeing the World Through A Child's Eyes
In less time than it takes to read this article, a child will lose their eyesight. One every minute. The child will likely be living in poverty, struggling for survival in one of the many parts of the world where access to even the most basic of eye care services continue to be out of reach.
Donor Spotlight: Nikolas Toocheck
"Just thinking about the kids out there that can't see, I just couldn't imagine not being able to see and I really hope that I can help change that for a lot of kids," says Nikolas.
Bio Eyes Will Provide Comprehensive Eye Care to 200,000 School Children in India
Seva is excited to announce the launch of our new Buy a Frame, Help a Child to See program in partnership with the eyewear brand Bio Eyes. Through sales from this line of eco-friendly eyewear, Bio Eyes will support Seva's efforts to screen the eyes of 200,000 school children in India.
Seva Screens the Eyes of Over 100,000 Children in Cambodia
For nearly 20 years, Seva has been dedicated to building sustainable pediatric eye care programs in Cambodia - programs that provide sight-saving care to children in need throughout the country.
Bringing the World into Focus for Nepali Children in Need
If you have the opportunity to travel to Nepal, a country where 33% of the population is under the age of 14, you will surely notice the smiling faces of children everywhere you go. You may also notice that very few of these children are wearing eyeglasses.
Patient Spotlight: Meet 9-Year-Old Wendy
A nervous mother brought her nine-year-old daughter Wendy to a Seva-sponsored outreach screening camp, hoping the doctors could restore sight to her blind eye. Five years ago, Wendy had lost vision in her eye after accidentally being bumped in the head while playing with friends.
Seva's Inaugural #SevaSocialGiving Crowdfunding Campaign
Your support of this innovative campaign made it possible for Seva to train 40 teachers in Cambodia who are screening the eyes of 29,000 students for visual impairment. These efforts are identifying children who need of glasses and sight-saving medical care, like sweet 7-year-old Bopha who is featured in this video.
Seva Donors Make The Miracle of Sight Possible in Cambodia
This past February, a rural school in Cambodia experienced firsthand how the support and compassion of Seva donors, combined with a few dashes of serendipity, changed the lives of the students and teachers forever.
