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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"For nearly 40 years 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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The Biggest Smile Ever
Photographer Jon Kaplan visits an eye camp in Nepal

In December, photographer Jon Kaplan, a long time Seva volunteer, stopped by our office in Berkeley and said "I'm going to Nepal next week.  Are there any program activities that I could shoot?"  Perfect timing!  The staff at Lumbini Eye Care Program, our partner in Nepal, was just about to conduct a Seva-supported mobile eye camp in a remote mountain village.

Three weeks later, when Jon returned, we sat him down in front of a tape recorder.  Here is his account of witnessing an eye camp in action — and of seeing a young mother with the biggest smile ever. 

Jon Kaplan: I flew to Katmandu, and from there took a small plane to Lumbini, which is in the central-southern part of Nepal near the border with India.  From Lumbini, you get in a jeep and go about eight hours up into the hills on winding, bumpy roads.  It's very rugged — narrow roads, with no guardrails to keep you from going off thousands of feet into ravines below.

Eventually, we arrive at the village.  It's a very remote area, at least two hours from any medical care.  The eye camp is being held in a school.  There are people lined up to see the doctors — old people, infants, teenagers, a whole range of patients.  The staff is taking medical histories, writing it all down, and then each patient is examined.
 


This whole process happens in the school's classrooms. One room is set up for examinations. In another, they're making eyeglasses, pretty much by hand. But the most amazing part is the cataract surgeries they do — also done in the classrooms. They push some tables together and set up an operating table. They have a little generator powering this special light they use while they're operating. The doctors are all robed up, in gloves just like in an operating room. The patients are also in gowns and drapes.

New Chance for a Mother and Baby
There was a young woman there, about 22 or 23 years old, and she had a one-year-old baby. This woman had been blind since she was 6 or 7 years old. Her husband was deaf and not able to speak — I don't know how they communicated. And their baby daughter was also blind since birth with cataracts. It must have been a difficult life for all of them. This young woman just looked so sad, there just seemed to be no joy in her face at all.

She was examined and it was determined that cataract surgery would help her. That afternoon, they did all the pre-op tests. They cleaned her face, wiped it down with antiseptic, got her dressed in a hospital gown. The actual surgery takes maybe 15 minutes. I watched several of them. They do the surgery and immediately cover up the eye with a patch to keep it clean overnight. It would seem hard to wait till the next day to see, but these people have been waiting years.

That next morning, I had to get back down to Lumbini. So, I got up early because I wanted to see this young woman again before leaving. We found her, and one of the staff helped her take off the eye patch. Well, the patch came off — and she had the biggest smile on her face that I have ever seen, anywhere! She could see her baby! She could see her husband for the first time! It was simply amazing — something I'll never forget.

The next day, they would operate on her the other eye. It also turned out that her baby could have its vision restored with surgery, but that needed to be done at the hospital in Lumbini. The village agreed to send somebody to Lumbini with this woman to help take care of things, but the money was an issue. Who was going to pay for the bus fare, which was something like $15? I offered to pay $15 — how could you not? But the staff suggested letting the community come up with half, so it's like a matching grant and the community will be sponsoring her too.

By now, I'm sure that the baby is seeing and the mother is seeing — and their lives are now changed forever. But without this mobile clinic, this young woman and her baby would probably never see.

Inspired to Do More
For me, it just reinforces my good feelings about Seva. Now, I've seen it myself — I've seen these people's lives. I've been supporting Seva for years and helping with fundraising, but this experience reminds me that it's not about the dollars. It's about helping people live a productive, happy and full life.

It also reinforces my feelings that there is a lot more to go. This is one village. There are thousands of villages just like this in Nepal, India, Tibet, Cambodia — all over the world. So, I'm inspired to keep doing what I can to support Seva's work. Sometimes the gift of giving is it’s own reward.

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