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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
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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
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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
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Odetta
Legendary Folk Singer
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David Crosby
Singer / Songwriter
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Graham Nash
Singer / Songwriter
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The Launch of A New Initiative!
For over 30 years, Seva Foundation's Native
American program has addressed a broad
range of community issues from cultural
preservation to educational and economic
development, conservation, and health and
wellness. This year, we are proud to announce
the launch of a new focus, the American Indian
Sight Initiative (AISI), a U.S. based program
focused on addressing vision needs among
Native Americans.
This initiative stems from Seva's efforts to
streamline our mission and tap into our global
expertise in providing vision care, while still
honoring our commitment to serving American
Indians. There are many parallels between the
eye health needs of Native Americans and
the underserved communities we support
around the world. Despite the existence of U.S.
government supported tribal health programs,
unmet eye health needs among our Native
population are significant:
- Only a minority of tribal health programs have an eye care provider on-site.
- Tribal health programs that provide vision services do not have adequate funding, staffi ng, or equipment.
- Due to their limited resources, most programs cannot conduct outreach activities, so providers must wait for patients to come into the clinic.
- Language and other cultural barriers prevent American Indians from seeking eye care. Few eye care providers are American Indian.
- Many American Indians cannot access existing eye care services due to limited incomes and transportation as well as long waiting lists.
- Unless American Indians have insurance coverage, they must pay out of pocket for eyeglasses, which are still out of reach for many on a limited income.
American Indians are at greatest risk for diabetic eye disease, such as diabetic retinopathy, due to having the highest rates of diabetes among all racial/ethnic groups in the U.S. However, only half of American Indian diabetics get a recommended annual eye exam.
Seva Foundation's current focus is on expanding eye care services to Native populations living in California and New Mexico. We are exploring providing support for American Indian vision technician training, making glasses more affordable, and telemedicine opportunities in the provision of prescription eyeglasses and diabetic retinopathy screening.
School Screening Program in New Mexico
Seva Foundation and Helen Keller International's ChildSight® program are partners in a school screening initiative in the Gallup, New Mexico, area that provides students with professional vision screenings and, if needed, a pair of prescription eyeglasses, all at no cost to their families.
Native American children tend to have a higher rate of astigmatism, one of the three types of refractive errors, the others being nearsightedness and farsightedness. Astigmatism is caused by an irregular shape of the cornea or lens. In the 2012-2013 academic year, 5,209 students were screened and 1,501 (29%) were provided with a pair of prescription eyeglasses. In addition, 221 (4%) were referred for follow-up care. Compounding this high prevalence is the critical level of rural poverty within the Navajo Reservation. These vision screenings are a bright spot in a community where vision care is neither affordable nor accessible to the vast majority of families.
By providing children a free pair of eyeglasses, we're not only providing them with ability to see clearly we're also giving them back their potential to learn, to earn a living, and to engage with the world.
