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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TOMS
One for One®

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As Seva kicks off its third year as TOMS' lead Sight Giving Partner, we wanted to take a minute to look back over our successful partnership.

Three years ago, TOMS' founder Blake Mykoskie made a big announcement about the future of his company.

Already extremely popular for their shoes and One for One® giving model, TOMS was about to launch an exciting new product and new way to give.

At the announcement event in Santa Monica, Blake revealed that TOMS would now be producing eyewear, and in partnership with Seva, each pair purchased would support a person in need to receive sight saving surgery, eyeglasses or medical treatment – One for One®.

Blake explains, "One thing that I realized over the past couple of years is this One for One model is very powerful. It allows someone to buy something that they are already going to buy, or they want, or they need, and to help someone at the same time.

When I thought about launching another product with the TOMS model, vision seemed the most obvious choice.

I think what is important to understand, is just how powerful it is to help give sight to someone in need. With TOMS Eyewear, we are able to give someone the opportunity to wear a pair of shades, knowing that there is a much greater purpose."

TOMS' Eyewear Design Director, Darrin Dela Cruz, adds, "there is an extra ingredient, or an extra material that goes into a TOMS product, and that's the story. I often think about the person on the other side, how difficult even the little things might be for them. How long they've been living with visual impairment, how it's probably affected their loved ones."

Blake notes "there are about 280 million people in the world who are either blind or visually impaired, and 80% of that is reversible or treatable."

He goes on to explain, "There are three ways that your purchase will help someone. Medical treatment is number one, so let's take someone who is a farmer who gets a piece of rice or something lodged in their eye, and it is causing an infection, and if they don't get it treated quickly and get the right antibiotics they'll lose their sight.

Prescription eyeglasses are number two. For kids in school that can't see the blackboard, or for someone who is losing their sight and needs eyeglasses to continue doing their work.

And then the third is eye surgery, when someone develops something like a cataract and they can't see at all, they are completely blind, and so your purchase can help toward doing the eye surgery. That to me is the closest thing to a miracle I've ever seen. Literally, people come in, can't see, a 15-minute surgery, patch comes off, and they can see, it's just awesome. There is no feeling in the world that compares to that."

Seva's Executive Director, Jack Blanks, applauds Blake and his company's One for One® model, noting "TOMS' partnership with Seva demonstrates perfectly how a company putting human needs and values before profit, can ally itself with a non-profit organization to provide life changing services and still be a hugely successful enterprise."

To date, the TOMS Sight Giving Program has provided eyeglasses, medical treatments, and surgeries to over 250,000 people who would not otherwise be able to afford eye care. Of this, over 100,000 people have received sight saving surgeries, mostly to remove blinding cataracts, the leading cause of blindness.

To learn more about TOMS please watch this short video:

 

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