What Makes Seva Unique? Seva Canada is often asked, “What makes you different from other eye care organizations?” While many, if not most, eye care organizations are committed to restoring sight and eliminating blindness. Each has its own approach to this health crisis. Seva Canada is guided by these principles: *   Our belief in equal access to eye care for all. *   Our belief that, with adequate resources, all people can meet their own needs. *   Our commitment to working with international partners to build local, sustainable eye care programs. *   Our respect for cultural, ethnic, spiritual and other forms of diversity. *   Our commitment to inform and inspire Canadians to join us in achieving our mission.

Specifically Seva Canada: *  Invests in the creation and testing of innovative strategies to eliminate preventable and treatable blindness. Seva and our partners are always learning new, more efficient and more equitable ways to deliver services. *  Focuses on capacity building and long-term results. We find excellent partners and maintain our relationship until our funding is no longer required. *  Embeds gender-sensitive strategies in all of its programs, provides each partner with the funding and expertise to achieve gender equality and teaches all of its partners how to monitor the effectiveness of their strategies. *  Bases all program decisions on “best practices” developed through practical on-the-ground experience with operational research. Seva Canada has considerable scientific strengths and its staff and partners are often considered to be global leaders in specific areas of eye care. *  Makes a concerted effort to support and document the knowledge it has gained which has resulted in significant changes to programs and practices. *  Supports capacity building of key partner institutions to become regional and global leaders. This “multiplier effect” has increased Seva Canada’s impact far beyond the funding provided for program work. *  Works with a wide variety of partners including district and national health ministries, Canadian and international companies, international and national NGOs, service organizations and community-based organizations.