Watch the Video
Watch more Seva Videos
Seva News
“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
Sign-up for e-Updates!
Mobile Eye Camps
Bringing Eye Care Services to the People
|
Ophthalmologist and glaucoma specialist Dr. Ken Baum vividly remembers his first experience with Seva Mobile Eye Camps. After a grueling trip to Western Tibet with a team of volunteers, the group came to a mountain village where they were greeted by dozens of villagers waiting to see them. They set up a mobile operation room and started performing cataract surgeries. “There was one older woman who'd been completely blind from cataract for at least eight years," Ken recalls. "We did the surgery, and the next day when she took the patch off, she burst into tears because she could see her grandchildren for the first time. I'll never forget that.” |
|||
|
Why Not a Hospital? |
 |
|
|
For many people, getting to the eye camp is a real challenge: Some walk for several days and some travel on horseback for as long as a week. “It's a challenge for us to get there, too, because we have to bring everything with us, such as surgical tools and supplies, microscopes, and generators because there's no electricity there,” says Kunga.
Seva's Sight Program Director, Dr. Chundak Tenzing, points out that while the surgeries happen in unusual settings, the camps always provides a high level of care. This includes robes, gowns, microscopes, and sterilizing equipment to minimize the risk of infection. “We make sure the quality of care is the same as they would receive in a hospital,” he said.
The Right Camp for the Job
Different kinds of eye camps accommodate different needs. “In Cambodia, it's not so much that people live far from hospitals, it's that there aren't enough surgeons," Chundak said. “So the object of the camps is to boost the volume of surgeries. We bring teams of doctors from our partners in Nepal and India, and they work with the Cambodian doctors. This way, we provide cataract surgery to hundreds of blind patients who otherwise wouldn't be served."
Another type of camp doesn't do any surgery — it's a diagnostic screening camp for eye exams and screening. Some patients can be treated for minor conditions there at the camp, but patients who need more thorough exams or cataract surgery are referred to a hospital for care. This decreases the load at the hospital and helps increase efficiency by avoiding overcrowding.
Building Local Capacity
Ultimately, solutions to diseases caused by poverty can't be dependent on charitable services provided by visiting doctors. The real solution is to support local communities in developing the means to provide care for themselves.
"Our goal is to build a sustainable, affordable eye care infrastructure that's available to everyone," Kunga Tashi explains. “We stay very focused on training and supporting local people so that they're increasingly able to serve their communities on their own. We're very pleased with the progress we're making. Now, 100% of Tibet eye camps are conducted by local teams trained by Seva — and they're doing about 4,500 cataract surgeries each year. We still provide support, but every camp is led by local people.”
Opportunity for Compassion
There's still a long way to go before everyone has access to the eye care services they need. But Ken Baum, who has volunteered for about ten more eye camps since his first trip to Tibet, says it's important to appreciate that each person Seva serves enjoys a life-changing benefit — and that each person's restored vision is a benefit to their family and community as well.
“For me as a surgeon — and as someone who appreciates how fortunate I am in my life — it's really amazing to perform a service that benefits other people in such a powerful way," Ken told us. "Those opportunities seem so rare. Seva donors have this opportunity, too. Maybe they can't go out in the field with us to do surgeries, but their contributions make it all possible.”
