Click here
to see a video
about Seva's history,
featuring Ram Dass
and others.

About Seva Foundation

Seva (say-va) is a Sanskrit word for service. Seva Foundation was formed in 1978 with a mission to alleviate suffering caused by disease and poverty. Our approach is to build partnerships that respond to locally defined problems with culturally sustainable solutions. Seva currently works to:

• Prevent blindness and restore sight in India, Nepal, Tibet, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Egypt, Tanzania and Guatemala.
• Help indigenous communities in Guatemala and Mexico develop their capacity to meet basic needs and create solutions to poverty and injustice.
• Support Native American projects across the U.S. in the areas of health and wellness, community development, environmental protection and cultural preservation.

• Understand problems and challenges faced by individual countries and cultures.
• Identify reliable and trustworthy partner organizations the countries in which we work.
• Provide resources including professional, medical and managerial training.
• Leverage and build partnerships for networking opportunities and information sharing across the globe.
• Build capacity for culturally and financially sustainable solutions.

Guiding Principles
Seva Foundation is dedicated to finding skillful means to relieve suffering. We call this compassion in action. Our work isn't based upon an ideology or religious affiliation, but we do have guiding principles:

• We affirm both the rational and the intuitive in all our work. We respect the spiritual and cultural roots of individuals and communities in helping them to create sustainable solutions.
• We seek long-term solutions that will support economic independence while remaining committed to methods that are environmentally sound.
• We promote solutions to problems that come from within individuals and communities. This principle is inherent in Seva's concept of self-reliance.
• We listen attentively to the people with whom we work and to each other. This kind of listening deepens intercultural understanding, allows lasting relationships to develop, and brings "wholeness" to our work.
• We are flexible in responding to the changing needs and conditions of the people and programs we help. We follow their lead in establishing goals and setting schedules.