Letter from the Executive Director

Fall is here, and with it, as always, comes World Sight Day. It is a good time for organizations like Seva to recommit themselves to the goal of bringing access to vision care around the world. It is also an excellent opportunity for us to reaffirm our strategy and our commitment to serving those who need us most.

In this edition of our newsletter you will see an emphasis on expanding vision care here in our own hemisphere. For several decades Seva has supported partners south of the U.S. border, this year we are placing a more systematic focus on Latin America as a region than we have in the past.

Amidst many high-profile problems, one critical issue that escapes many people's mind is visual impairment and blindness. A large percentage of the population in Latin American countries lives in rural areas, which limits their access to basic vision care. This leads to them losing not only their sight, but also their ability to work – furthering the vicious cycle of poverty.

Seva aims to help communities in Latin America break that cycle.

We are committed to unlocking the excellence in the region. With your generous help, we are training new doctors, professionals, and paraprofessionals. We are linking struggling hospitals with more established ones, to increase efficiency and effectiveness across the board. We are helping local health care ecosystems become robust and self-sufficient, so that they can keep caring for their own communities and help others in the future.

Above: Photo by Rebecca Gaal.

In this newsletter, we have included heartfelt success stories about our efforts in Latin America. We hope you find them uplifting and inspiring. On behalf of everyone at the Seva Foundation, our partners, and the people we serve, happy World Sight Day to you! We wish you good eye health, and hope that you will continue to trace Seva's progress as we help bring access to vision care to everyone around the world.

Yours in Service,

Kate