Supermodel and a founder and chairwoman of Happy Hearts Fund Petra Nemcova has devoted the past five years to rebuilding schools in areas stricken by natural disasters like the one we
witnessed hours ago in Japan. Today the 'Dancing with the Stars' contestant and her staff at the HHF have been closely monitoring how they can help the stricken region.
"My heart goes out to the people of Japan. I speak for all the Happy Hearts Fund team, volunteers and supporters around the world when I say that we are thinking of them today and will be through the rebuilding process," Nemcova said. While most of us were able to watch the tsunami's terror this morning with detached horror, it was very real to Nemcova, who founded the Happy Hearts fund after she survived the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami in Thailand.
This month HHF is marking the completion of its 50th school construction project and in addition to rebuilding existing school structures, the organization has begun putting curriculum in place for natural disaster preparedness in areas that have proven vulnerable. Students in Happy Hearts Schools study and draw about natural disaster preparedness, sharing their knowledge of the science and safety of specific types of disasters.
The fund currently operates in nine countries, including Thailand, Indonesia, Mexico, Peru, Sri Lanka, Haiti, India, Chile and Hurricane Katrina-affected areas of the United States.
According to Happy Hearts Executive Director Phil Caputo, HHF is monitoring the situation in Japan closely to see where Happy Hearts' resources can best be used in the aftermath of this devastating event. For updates on HHF's work and to donate, visit the Happy Hearts website, friend them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.
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