Seva News
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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

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"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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"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

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"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

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"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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"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

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“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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“I congratulate Seva Foundation for the magnificent work they continue to do."

Odetta
Legendary Folk Singer

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“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

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“Such dedication to others — how could you not love Seva and what they accomplish? Well done!”

Graham Nash
Singer / Songwriter

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Ama's Story
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Two out of three people who are blind are women and girls. Your compassion restored Ama's eyesight, and is helping to increase access to eye care for women around the globe.

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A Seva Story
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This micro-documentary explains the origins of Seva and our work to prevent and cure blindness around the world.

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Let There Be Sight
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Witness a Seva Eye Camp in the Himalayas of Nepal. In Let There Be Sight, Seva donor Turk Pipkin chronicles his journey with a Seva medical team to a remote surgical eye camp in Nepal's Himalayas where hundreds of people had their vision restored. Special thanks to musician and long-time Seva supporter Jackson Browne for use of his song "Doctor My Eyes."

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What Does Seva Mean...
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We asked Dr. Chundak Tenzing, Seva's Sight Program Director: "What does 'Seva' Mean to you?

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Sight in Cambodia
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Many Cambodia children do not have access to eye care services. Seva trains Cambodian doctors and provides infrastructure so that Cambodia can provide care to it's own citizens. Last year, over 70,000 children in Cambodia received eye examinations as a result of Seva's work. 1/2 of children who go blind in developing countries will die within the first year. By preventing and treating blindness, Seva provides opportunities for life to children around the world.

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For a Chance to See
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Dhana lives in one of the most isolated, impoverished villages on the planet, Bajura, Nepal, a stunning but unforgiving landscape he has not seen for five years. Dhana Kadka is blind due to cataracts. Despite this, he walked 10km through the rocky terrain of far west Nepal by feel and memory. Kadka learned that a group of Seva-supported eye doctors were coming for a special visit. So he made the perilous journey on foot for the chance to see.

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A Clear Vision for Pakistan
New Seva partnership brings eye care to rural area

When Pakistani health professionals wanted to bring vision care to the remote area of Takht Bhai, near Peshawar at the Pakistan-Afghan boarder, they called Seva Foundation for guidance and assistance.  Their goal:  Establish easily accessible, high quality, low cost vision services in communities where eye care programs have never existed before. 

Now with support from Seva's Center for Innovation in Eye Care, their dream has been realized.  In June, the new Community Vision Center at Takht Bhai opened for business — marking the first time Seva has extended its reach to Pakistan.






For people who are blind or visually impaired in Pakistan, as in other developing countries, proper eye care can make the difference between working for food or begging.


In the rural farming community of Takht Bhai, an estimated 23,000 people need glasses, and 10,000 people are functionally blind, including 5,000 who need cataract surgery. Yet few can travel to the nearest hospital, an hour’s drive away in Mardan, and few can afford the cost of care. With the opening of the new Community Vision Center, these needs can now be addressed.

Approaching Seva for Support
Seva's newest partner is a nonprofit organization called CHEF International (Comprehensive Health and Education Forum), whose mission is to provide comprehensive health and education services in support of the poor and disabled.

CHEF is working in close collaboration with the Pakistan Institute of Community Ophthalmology (PICO), a seasoned group of academic and research professionals who do educational and training work related to eye care, but who have not managed eye care service clinics in rural areas.

“Knowing of Seva’s expertise in establishing sustainable community-based eye care programs in India, Asia and Africa, CHEF approached us for help with design and early funding,” says Dr. Suzanne Gilbert, Director of Seva's Center for Innovation in Eye Care. "In addition to initial financial support, we're collaborating with CHEF to plan for the project’s managerial and technical viability."

CHEF will implement, monitor and evaluate the Community Vision Center in Takht Bhai, with a three-year timetable to achieve a sustainable program targeting 8,500 patients in the third year.

Community Outreach and Sustainability
Opening the new Community Vision Center is an exciting development, but that's just one part of the work involved in bringing quality eye care to this remote, rural area. “Just as we do in most of the eye care programs Seva supports around the world,” explains Suzanne, “this new Community Vision Center in Pakistan features a dynamic outreach program that sends trained health workers out into the surrounding population to conduct screening exams and to educate people about the eye care services available to them. Without an active outreach component, the people who are most in need of this kind of care, particularly women and girls, will never know about the clinic or be able to access its services."

To discover options for their vision center, CHEF staff visited Aravind Eye Hospitals in India, with Seva's support. They joined workshops sponsored by Seva and Aravind, outlining the strategies used in successful community ophthalmology programs around the world.

“This is a wonderful example of Seva's partnership model, where we link people who want to do good work with others who are a few steps ahead,” says Suzanne. “It's a way to really fast-track the process.”

In addition to community outreach strategies, the Pakistani staff also learned about sustainable business structures for their new clinic. For example, the new Community Vision Center in Takht Bhai features an optical shop with fashionable frames that will appeal to patients who can afford to pay for their glasses — a real convenience compared with traveling to the optical shop in Mardan, an hour away. Profits from the optical sales will then be used to help subsidize the cost of caring for those without the means to pay. Using this approach, CHEF expects the Community Vision Center to increase patient volume and achieve financial sustainability in three years.

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