My name is Adrian Gordon and I am a fairly recent Seva donor. A few weeks ago I was fortunate enough to join a small group organized by Seva Canada to visit hospitals and eye care centres in Nepal that were set up and/or supported by Seva over the past 30 years. I am sure you have been touched by the many stories of people young and old who have had their sight restored thanks to Seva. Our experience was certainly no different and there were many times when I was moved to tears listening to tales of hardship or seeing first-hand the joy and relief on so many faces when the patches were removed after their operation.

Adrian being greeted by Shravan at the Seva Nepal office

Back in the late 60’s and 70’s I had the privilege of serving with Gurkha soldiers in the British army and later lived in Nepal for several years working on resettlement projects for ex-servicemen and their dependents (Nepal is one of the world’s poorest countries and receives more foreign assistance than almost any other developing country). I have since been back many, many times and have trekked over 3000 miles across the Himalayan foothills so I have got to know the people and the country fairly well.

Adrian running into an old friend in the Kathmandu airport

There were two things that struck me more than anything on this trip. The first was the warmth of the reception wherever we went and the high esteem in which Seva is held by all Nepalis not only patients and their families but also doctors and staff as well. Compared to many foreign agencies in Nepal, Seva is very small and yet it was abundantly clear to me that Seva’s name, reputation and influence far exceed its budget. The second thing is very much related to the first. Seva’s staff, both in Canada and Nepal, are not only very professional and dedicated to their work, they care deeply about helping those less fortunate than themselves. If you are, like me, a Seva donor you can rest assured that Seva’s work in Nepal is having a huge impact in not only alleviating personal suffering but in many cases reversing an avoidable descent into poverty. I can think of no other charity that is so worthy of our support.

Happy cataract patient at Geta Eye Hospital

Thankful Nepalese girl at a school screening