IBD Spotlight on Seva
The Seva Foundation has been a partner with the IBD program for over a decade in thanks to Sandra Dratler, former IBD faculty and Seva advisor. The IBD program has worked with Seva on projects in Nepal, Cambodia, India, Peru, and Guatemala.
Founded in 1978, this Berkeley-headquartered organization is a global nonprofit eye care organization that works with local communities around the world to develop self-sustaining programs that preserve and restore sight. Founded by Dr Larry Brilliant Ram Das, Nicole Grasset and Dr V (also the founder of Aravind), the goal was to make cataract surgery as “ubiquitous as McDonalds” and affordable to the poor according to Dr V.
As noted by Dr Brilliant, “If we kicked smallpox, the greatest killer known to humankind, we can end all forms of needless blindness. We have the science, we are an organization that has also gained the wisdom, now let us ask for the resources to get it done.” Seva’s programs alone have helped 72 million people see clearly again.
Heidi Chase, Seva’s Chief Program Officer and our IBD project partner for many years, sat down with us to share more about her fascinating background and Seva’s work.
How did you become interested in international development?
I taught in Taiwan during college and then served in the Peace Corps in Uzbekistan. It was a great experience and totally different from the small central California town I grew up in. I then worked for the IRC in Sierra Leone and Save the Children in South Sudan.
How did you get connected to Seva?
A Peace Corps friend who worked at Tom’s connected me (Tom’s had a partnership with Seva). I loved the organization’s long-term engagement and investment in sustainable solutions. It has and huge impact despite its small size. I oversee all of our programs, and have focused on increasing our local recruitment for more engagement on the ground and to help build our network of local partners.
What trends have you seen in the past few years and how is Seva responding?
- Eye Care as an Economic Imperative
Recent Seva research shows that restoring sight boosts productivity, education, and lifetime earnings. This data now helps Seva and its partners advocate for eye care as smart economic policy, leading several governments to integrate services into national health programs. - Advancing Gender Equity
Women face higher rates of visual impairment in every country where Seva works. Seva trains female community outreach health workers, and designs programs that remove financial and cultural barriers to care. - Scaling Innovation and Technology
Seva is exploring and leveraging emerging technologies to extend access and quality including but not limited to:- AI-powered diagnostics and smartphone screening apps for early detection.
- Teleophthalmology networks linking rural patients to specialists.
- Innovative treatment for better patient experience and higher quality outcome through its Call for Innovation, Seva is inviting global partners to co-create solutions that make eye care universal.
Seva.org/innovation - Ending avoidable blindness in the world – starting in Guatemala
In Latin America, Brillando embodies Seva’s long-term vision — building a self-sustaining national eye care system that will reach every region. With government alignment, local leadership, and the necessary funding it’s proving that avoidable blindness can be eliminated across Guatemala and Paraguay and the model can be scaled across the world.
We encourage our community to share widely with their networks and to consider applying for the Seva Innovation Challenge if you have an idea to put forward Link to call for innovation – Seva.org/innovation
