OCTOBER 1, 2018 marked what would have been Dr. Govindappa Venkataswamy's 100th birthday. Known as Dr. V, this widely-revered man founded and grew India's Aravind Eye Care System from an 11-bed facility in 1976 to what is today one of the largest networks of eye care facilities in the world.

Dr. V was also one of Seva's co-founders. His direct experience with delivering high-volume, high-quality eye care was a major inspiration that shaped Seva's capacity-building, culturally-sensitive approach to expanding access to eye care around the world.

It's hard to overestimate the profound impact that Dr. V's work had on the international approach to treating cataract and other forms of avoidable blindness and vision impairment. His influence was so significant that he was featured in a Google Doodle in India on the anniversary of his birthday.