Frequently Asked Questions about Seva

What does Seva mean?

Seva is Sanskrit word that means "service". Seva can be described as a spiritual action born out of compassion to serve others. Seva was founded to alleviate human suffering. Since many of Seva's founders had been working in India to eradicate smallpox, they chose an Indian word for the name of the organization.

How can I donate to Seva Canada?

You can donate through our website or by calling the Seva office at 604-713-6622 or toll-free 1-877-460-6622.

Does Seva take used eyeglasses?

No, because it is very costly and inefficient to collect, sort, package and ship used eyeglasses to the developing world. All of Seva's programs train local people to become opticians and optometrists so that they can make glasses locally. In the countries where we work, adult eyeglass frames are available quite cheaply and Seva-trained eye-care professionals make glasses and sell them at a reasonable cost to those who can afford to pay. The sale of eyeglasses helps fund eye care for those too poor to pay.

That being said, we do have an ongoing need for new infants' and children's eyeglass frames for our pediatric programs in eastern Africa and we are extremely grateful to the Canadian optical companies -- OGI, Centennial Optical, Perfect Optical and Bo-Optik -- for their very generous in-kind donations.

What is the main cause of blindness in the world?

The leading cause of blindness is cataract, which can be treated through at 15-minute eye surgery costing about $50 for an adult. The real cause of blindness is lack of access to affordable and reliable health care in the developing world. By building local capacity, Seva is creating sustainable eye care systems for generations to come.

Can I volunteer overseas for Seva?

Seva works to create sustainable programs through building local capacity. We don't send medical missions of doctors. Local eye-care specialists are trained in their own countries or in neighbouring countries in the surgical and eye-care techniques that are appropriate. There is always a need, however, for highly trained and specialized individuals who have the capacity to teach others. Please contact the office for more information.

How much does it cost to restore sight through cataract surgery?

A sight-restoring cataract surgery costs $50 to perform and also includes the consumables such as anesthetic, eye drops, and intraocular lens that is inserted to replace the eye's natural lens. In some places and programs, such as Aravind Eye Care System in India and Lumbini Eye Institute in Nepal, where there is a large volume of surgeries being done each day, the surgery can be as little as $25 and can take just 5 minutes.

Why is a child's eye surgery more expensive than an adult's?

Children can also have cataracts and their surgery is more complex and costly -- usually about $150. This is because children usually need general anesthetic, a special pediatric intraocular lens, and lots of follow-up and new glasses.

How does Seva choose which countries to work in?

Seva only works in countries where we have been asked and where we have excellent local partners with the skills to deliver the programs and the dedication and fiscal responsibility to ensure that the programs are a success. Our aim is to create eye care systems that will be sustainable locally and that will exist for generations after our involvement is complete.

What is the meaning of Seva's logo?

Seva’s logo is the Buddha Eyes which are painted on virtually every stupa or Buddhist shrine in Nepal. These eyes look out in the four directions to symbolize the omniscience or all-seeing nature of a Buddha. Although Seva is not a religious organization, we believe in compassion in action. Our logo was derived in part from the fact that Nepal was the first country where Seva started working to restore sight and prevent blindness over 30 years ago.

What is cataract?

According to WHO definition: "Cataract is clouding of the lens of the eye which impedes the passage of light. Although most cases of cataract are related to the aging process, occasionally children can be born with the condition, or a cataract may develop after eye injuries, inflammation, and some other eye diseases."

Globally, cataract (opacification of the lens) is the single most important cause of blindness, and cataract surgery has been shown to be one of the most cost-effective health-care interventions. Most cataract is related to aging and cannot be prevented, but cataract surgery and insertion of an intraocular lens are highly effective, resulting in almost immediate visual rehabilitation.

There are 18 million people in the world who are blind from bilateral cateracts.