When Seva's founders met for the first time in 1978, they were driven by a desire to be of service, to relieve suffering for those whose lives have been defined more by struggle than ease. Out of this spirit of service, one of Seva's core foundational values emerged: that of serving the underserved.
Ram Dass: Seva Co-Founder, Model of Selfless Service
Ram Dass exemplifies and gives voice to the spiritual motivation of Seva’s work, the notion of "selfless service." In this year of Seva's 40th anniversary and Ram Dass's 87th birthday (on April 6), Ram Dass continues his selfless service to the family of humankind by sharing his reflections on the end of life through an upcoming Netflix documentary and a new book, co-authored by fellow Seva founder Mirabai Bush.
Ganesh Prasad and his wife Tikka Maya are farmers in Nepal. But when Ganesh lost his vision, he also lost his ability to run their farm. Tikka had to stay by his side constantly. No longer able to run the farm herself due to Ganesh's dependence on her, Tikka had to sell all their cattle. Their remote village lacked access to eye care and, even if they had been able to travel to receive care, they could not afford surgery to help Ganesh regain his sight.
Seva Nepal Program Director Ram Prasad Kandel was named a 2017 Eye Health Hero by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB). This award celebrates Kandel's 25 years leading Seva Nepal, during which time he established new primary eye care centers and eye hospitals while strengthening the financial and administrative health of these facilities.
Seva is fortunate to have dedicated donors who find creative ways to support our transformative work. Portland, Ore.-area supporters are ramping up for their annual Soor Aur Saptak fundraiser to benefit Seva's child sight program in India. And studios around the world are putting together specialized classes in support of Seva through the annual Yoga for Sight event.