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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President Clinton Praises Seva
Opportunity to Build Support for "One Million Eyes" Campaign

Seva participated in the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting in New York, one of only 25 global health organizations invited to attend. We were thrilled to have President Bill Clinton personally announce Seva's So One Million Eyes See Again campaign to a packed audience of heads of state, business executives, philanthropists and foundation heads, religious leaders, and original thinkers — including 10 of the last 16 Nobel Peace Laureates.

President Clinton remarked, "What these people are doing is really important.  Just think about restoring sight to a million people... a million women and girls will have their vision restored."


Launched by President Clinton as a non-partisan catalyst for action, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) brings together a community of global leaders to devise and implement innovative solutions to some of the world's most pressing challenges.

Seva's Center for Innovation in Eye Care used the opportunity to gain support for its So One Million Eyes See Again campaign, an ambitious initiative to restore sight to millions of people worldwide by scaling up the capacity of 100 hospitals to perform one million more cataract sugeries annually.


"We're honored to be among the group of non-profits invited to present proposals at this year's CGI meeting," says Seva's CFO, Deborah Moses.  "It's a wonderful acknowledgement of Seva's leadership role in building innovative, sustainable eye care systems that can literally transform the lives of millions of people in need around the world."

Commitments to Action
CGI doesn't grant or collect direct donations to carry out projects.  Instead, it works as a catalyst for action, matching up people who have resources with those who have capabilities to achieve results in the field.

The result is a "CGI Commitment" — a focused collaboration among individuals, organizations, corporations and governments who aim to improve the lives of the global family by translating good ideas into new, specific and measurable actions.  Since 2005, CGI members have made nearly 1,000 commitments valued at $30 billion to improve more than 200 million lives in over 100 countries.

So One Million Eyes See Again
"CGI Commitments are typically large-scale efforts that aim to create change that can be sustained," explains Dr. Suzanne Gilbert, Director of Seva's Center for Innovation in Eye Care.  "Our So One Million Eyes See Again Campaign is exactly that kind of project.  Through our Global Sight Network, we will fuel the delivery of one million cataract surgeries and screen 10 million people for eye problems every year in low-income, developing countries by strengthening infrastructure, improving access to information, and co-developing sustainable services that will last generations.  We need $10 million for the first phase of work, and that's what we're hoping to develop through our CGI Commitment."

At issue are the 39 million people, two-thirds of whom are women, who suffer from preventable blindness worldwide.  Cataract remains the leading cause of blindness despite the fact that a simple 15-minute surgical procedure can restore sight immediately, making it one of the most cost-effective health interventions in developing nations according to the World Bank.

Seva will lead a global coalition of community eye-care facilities so that by 2015, one million more sight-restoring surgeries will be performed each year above current capacity.  Additionally, more than 10 million people, including many women and girls, will be screened and treated each year for other eye problems.  In total, over 200 million people will have increased access to eye care services by 2015 as a result of this commitment. 

"We're taking the proven models of public heatlh eye care systems that we've developed with our partners over the years and using them in making a quantum leap in worldwide capacity," Dr. Gilbert continued. "The result is going to be that millions of people, women and girls in particular, who otherwise would be blind from cataract will now be able to go to school, return to work and care for their families.  We think that's the kind of transformative change that CGI members are looking for, so I'm confident good things will come of our participation at the meeting."

For more information, visit the Clinton Global Initiative website.

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