Dear Friend,
This Mother’s Day, I want to introduce you to someone.
Seva Canada partners with Dayanand Medical College and Hospital in Punjab, India, where Dr. Priyanka Arora is an ophthalmologist. Through her program, Project ROSHANI, she provides free and low-cost cataract surgeries and eye care to people living in rural communities who would otherwise go without. “Roshani” means “light” in Punjabi and Hindi. She is also a mother.
And her son recently had something to say about that.
He wrote a paragraph about her for a school assignment. He chose to describe his mother, writing about a woman who “helps people who cannot see and performs cataract surgeries,” who “helps people who are in need of help, and for them it’s fully free,” and “who holds camps in the rural parts of the country.” And then, at the very end: “I may be unappreciative sometimes, but I will always be grateful to her. I love her a lot.”
When I read those words, I thought: this is what it looks like when a child watches someone give.
We reached out to Dr. Priyanka to ask what she hopes her son takes from watching her work. Her answer stayed with me: “More than anything, I hope he grows up seeing that life is not just about what we achieve, but what we give.”
When we asked about balance, she was honest. Some days she feels she has done justice to all of her roles, and some days she falls short.
Her mornings start early, often before the house is fully awake. Her days move between patients, surgeries, and coordinating work for Project ROSHANI. By evening, the pace changes. It becomes about listening to her son’s day, catching up on small stories, and finding comfort in those simple moments.
“What keeps me going,” she said, “is the sense of purpose — at work and at home.”
Friend, that purpose is at the heart of everything we do together.
Because of your generosity, Seva Canada can partner with inspiring people like Dr. Priyanka and walk alongside them as they do this extraordinary work. Her vision created the program. Her hands perform the surgeries. Your giving helps light the way.
This Mother’s Day, thank you for giving so generously. You and Dr. Priyanka have more in common than you might think.
With heartfelt gratitude,
Liz Brant – Executive Director
