I. Lokana.org
Malleswari, 2017 Photo by Harsha S. Reddy
I. Lo•ka•na
“The act of looking, seeing, perceiving.”
Lokana is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving eye care among the tribal communities of Andhra Pradesh in South India. In these remote forests where the physical conditions of life are difficult, eyesight is vital to health, livelihood, and independence. Collaborating with local government, development NGOs, optometrists, and surgeons, we are working to treat eye disease and to restore vision.
How we encounter “the other” is important to us as an organization. The people in the Chenchu communities we serve are not stereotypes – they are unique individuals with names, narratives, and challenges. We strive to be aware of our limitations in how we see and perceive those who have a different history than us. We seek not only to empower but also to learn, and most importantly, to engage honestly as equals. Practicing medicine reminds us that human bodies are more alike than different, and so too is the soul – complicated, requiring maintenance, capable of growth. Lokana respects the richness of diversity while celebrating our common humanity.
To learn more and to support us, please visit : www.lokana.org
II. Where we work
The project areas are in the state of Andhra Pradesh, 5 hours south of Hyderabad.
The Nallamalai forests are part of the biodiversity-rich Eastern Ghats, a mountain range that runs along India's eastern coast. Once a continuous stretch of wild lands, the forests and its original inhabitants are under threat.
The Chenchu villages we serve are situated within Nagarjuna Sagar Tiger Reserve centered around the temple city of Srisailam. Poverty, lack of access to the interior villages, and the physically difficult conditions of life (monsoons in the winter, severe heat in the summer) compound health problems. The city of Chinthala (marked above) is our base of operations in the Chenchu communities.