Three-year-old Milka lives in a village in Burundi. This small, war-torn country is adjacent to the northwest corner of Tanzania, just south of Rwanda. When Milka started walking at age 1, she didn't progress the way most children do and kept bumping into things. By age 2, her mother could see that Milka's eyes didn't track properly when she was watching the chickens in their yard.

Seva celebrated its 40th anniversary on January 12th by hosting a conversation about what’s next for Seva, followed by a fabulous concert at the Fox Theater in Oakland. The concert featured some of Seva’s most treasured long-time musical supporters: Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt and Mickey Hart with special guest Bob Weir. Joining them were Joan Osborne, Pura Fé and Cary Morin, who were new to the Seva stage. Our favorite philosopher clown, emcee extraordinaire Wavy Gravy, hosted the show.

With International Women’s Day coming up on March 8, this is a good time to reflect on the advances we’ve seen over the last 20 years in gender equity in the field of international eye care. We’ve made real progress and we need to stay focused on this issue to ensure that women will one day have the same access to eye care as their male counterparts.

Rosemary Lanyon of Burlingame, California, first learned about Seva years ago at a benefit concert. She felt moved to donate because, as she says, "I've always been involved in the arts, and a visual take on the world is important to me. I feel such compassion for people who lose their sight."

This year Yoga for Sight will run during the month of June (not April, as in past years). Yoga practitioners around the world will once again have the opportunity to breathe into the joy of compassion in action. Now in its 6th year, Yoga for Sight is a month-long event to raise awareness and support for Seva’s vital sight-saving services. Many teachers offer special yoga and meditation classes, such as blindfolded or in the dark to help people glimpse the experience of being blind. The practice of yoga is closely tied to the intention at the heart of Seva, whose name means “selfless service.” Teachers and studios can learn more and sign up to participate in Yoga for Sight at seva.org/yoga