Happy Hearts Fund Blog

Watch Forbes video about Petra and Phil Founder and Executive Director of Happy Hearts Fund and making a change to children, by building and rebuilding schools after natural disasters strike, and closing the gap that takes place.

“Driven: Interview with Petra Nemcova & Phil Caputo”

http://video.forbes.com/fvn/driven/petra-nemcova-happy-hearts-foundation

There is an amazing interview with Happy Hearts Fund Founder, Petra Nemcova, in this weeks blog of Baroness Goudie. Read it  here http://www.baronessgoudie.com/2010/01/20/interview-with-petra-nemcova/ The blog in general highlights the “Issues of Women and Children to Fight Global Poverty and Create a More Equitable World”

Who is Baroness Goudie?  Baroness Goudie has been a Member of the House of Lords since 1998 when she was appointed a life peer. She is dedicated to fighting Human Trafficking and so much more. Baroness Mary Goudie has been described as possessing a powerful combination of qualities: She has earned an enviable and impressive reputation for advancing a variety of Parliamentary and Constitutional issues while being an enthusiastic and energetic networker who has amassed an enviable collection of influential contacts around the globe who regard her as a valued and trusted friend.

In this very clear and excellent interview Baroness Goudie did with Petra.

Here are a couple of responses Petra answered I think really highlight the interview.

The first responders are now performing heroic work, and they need all the support they can get. At HHF, we see ourselves as advocates for the children of Haiti during the reconstruction phase. We already know from experience that they are too often forgotten after the TV cameras and helicopters go home. We will remain in Haiti and will continue to rebuild schools over the long term. We will work hard to bring happiness back to children of Haiti.

How can others become involved?

Given the urgent need in Haiti, we have oriented the “Bring Happiness Back!” campaign to ensure that we are well positioned to move quickly to assist the children of Haiti as soon as possible through rebuilding schools. We are committed to making sure that we can fill the gap in service delivery. We urge people to visit our Web site at www.happyheartsfund.org and to consider supporting our school reconstruction efforts. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
TWITTER: http://twitter.com/happyheartsfund
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/pages/Happy-Hearts-Fund/191097369285

To read the interview in its full form read her. http://www.baronessgoudie.com/2010/01/20/interview-with-petra-nemcova/

HAPPY HEARTS FUND RESPONSE TO HAITI EARTHQUAKE

The people of Haiti have an important presence in our hearts, we are sending our prayers and thoughts to them all. In 2007 we met thousands of Haitian children when our work began with our dear friend Wyclef Jean and his Yele Haiti team.

Rescuers are finding and saving survivors trapped beneath the rubble, bringing survival needs and medical attention to hundreds of thousands of people. Please support these first responders so they can continue providing the initial aid that is so desperately needed.

When the work of first responders is completed, and countries are left to begin the long process of rebuilding, that’s when HHF’s work begins. HHF is concentrating it’s efforts on the rebuilding stage of post disaster recovery and has rebuilt more then 43 schools in 8 countries impacted by such natural disasters as tsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes and floods. We have seen the long term benefits for children, families, communities and entire countries.

Happy Hearts Fund invites you to join us and support Haiti by rebuilding schools impacted by this devastating earthquake. We’ll share the many ways you can support our efforts in the weeks and months ahead.

Natural disasters change a life in an instant, we hope you join our efforts by providing long term support.

Petra Nemcova, Founder, Phil Caputo, Executive Director and the HAPPY HEARTS FUND TEAM

Read the article from Petra Nemcova, Founder and Chair, and Phil Caputo, Executive Director, Happy Hearts Fund   here : http://www.undispatch.com/node/9345

Read the great article in the Huffington Post.  Technorati votes Huffington Post the #1 blog!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/petra-nemcova/restoring-the-lives-of-ch_b_399537.html

Visit ONE.org

http://www.one.org/blog/2009/12/22/bring-happiness-back/

We are very proud of the article appearing on ONE.org ONE does amazing work, and it is an honor to align with such a great organization.  Please visit ONE.org and read the artcilce and add some comments and share it with your friends.

Yesterday, Tuesday, December 15, 2009,

Happy Hearts Fund Founder and Executive Director, Petra Nemcova and Phillip Caputo announced the new Bring Happiness Back campaign on the 5 year aniversary of the Indian Ocean Tsunami by ringing the closing bell at NASDAQ and seeing the Happy Hearts Fund be thanked on the big screen at Time Square.  This was only two stops in a whirlwind day that also saw them visit the United Nations.

Here is footage from Nasdaq photographers:

http://www.nasdaq.com/marketsite/marketsite-events-detail.aspx?fn=200912-close12152009.txt

Happy Hearts Fund Launches the “Bring Happiness Back” Campaign at the United Nations to Commemorate Fifth Anniversary of the Indian Ocean Tsunami

Campaign stresses the need for a focus on Millennium Development Goals for education in areas stricken by natural disasters

UNITED NATIONS, NEW YORK— Happy Hearts Fund (HHF) founder and chair Petra Nemcova and executive director Phillip Caputo today announced an awareness campaign to highlight the benefits of providing access to education and technology in a self-sustaining way to children in areas devastated by natural disasters.  The campaign – “Bring Happiness Back” – focuses on rebuilding schools, and establishing community-oriented businesses to create empowerment and independence in areas adversely affected by natural disasters.

”Bring Happiness Back” launched at the United Nations to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the Indian Ocean tsunami, which struck on December 26, 2004. The tsunami killed more than 230,000 people in 11 countries and displaced more than 1.4 million. Nemcova founded Happy Hearts Fund to help rebuild the lives of children affected by the tsunami and then expanded these efforts to restore the lives of children affected by natural disasters in other parts of the world.

HHF was founded as a nonprofit organization in 2006 and has launched initiatives in eight countries impacted by natural disasters: Indonesia, Thailand, Haiti, India, Mexico, Peru, Sri Lanka and the United States (New Orleans). Globally, HHF programs benefit more than 12,000 children and 230,000 members of surrounding communities annually. The “Bring Happiness Back” campaign includes the launch of HHF’s first-ever video campaign, entitled “Bring Happiness Back,” featuring children HHF has helped.

“Natural disasters change the life of a child in an instant and forever,” said Petra Nemcova, founder and chair of Happy Hearts Fund. “The most effective way to help entire communities recover and rebuild is to help children return to school as soon as possible. When the children have access to a safe school environment, the healing and recovery can begin. While the children are at school, the rest of the family can concentrate on reconstructing their lives and going back to their day jobs.  Rebuilding of schools helps children in their recovery process and helps bring the community back on its feet. Too often, rebuilding schools is not as high on the reconstruction priority list as it should be. “

While disaster relief meets immediate needs for food, shelter, water and disease control, it can be some time before governments step in to rebuild infrastructure and that creates a gap in the recovery process.  HHF focuses its initiatives within this gap.  HHF establishes computer labs within its schools, which enhances the quality of education for the children while teaching new skills. HHF also incubates and fosters a community-oriented business, as a programmatic companion to the new schools, thereby ensuring a long-term funding stream for the maintenance and development of the school, and, by extension, the community.

“We are making a conscious effort to ensure all of our programs are sustainable,” said Phil Caputo, executive director of Happy Hearts Fund. “By creating a community-based small enterprise to help support the school over the long-term, we are also helping the community with its long road back to economic reconstruction.”

Currently, HHF is raising funds to rebuild six kindergartens for children affected by the September 2^nd earthquake in Java, Indonesia.    The first effort of the “Bring Happiness Back” campaign will be to raise $200,000 in two months starting December 15, for the construction of six kindergartens in Java, Indonesia, to bring happiness back to children forgotten since the earthquake happened.

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ABOUT HAPPY HEARTS FUND

The Happy Hearts Fund (HHF), founded in 2006 by Petra Nemcova, aims to empower children in disaster- affected areas by providing access to education and technology in a sustainable way. HHF has initiatives in eight countries that have been impacted by natural disasters, including Indonesia, Thailand, Haiti, India, Mexico, Peru, Sri Lanka and the United States (New Orleans).  Our initiatives are focused on bridging the gap between emergency post-disaster relief and fully restored infrastructure. In doing so, HHF has seen our schools serve as a stabilizing and recovery force in rebuilding lives of children and whole communities affected by natural disaster. For more information, go to www.HappyHeartsFund.org. You can also follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

It is time to launch the new campaign Bring Happiness Back!  We are raising in this first round $200,000 with your help!  People of the world to help other broken heart people who have been hurt by natural disasters.  We are focusing this first round on Indonesia where a devastating earthquake hit September 2, 2009.  We will be building 6 new kindergartens with these funds.

WATCH THE PSA now! then consider this :  TEXT  the word “HEART” to 85944 to donate $5

THE GOOD NEWS
Happy Hearts Fund has built 33 kindergartens and 1 primary school with HP computer lab after the May 28, 2006 Earthquake in Java! Which is now changing life’s of 1,934 children  and it is positively influencing 96,000 community members.

THE BAD NEWS
An earthquake of magnitude 7.2 on the Richter scale struck 143 kilometers south-west of Tasikmalaya in West Java Province on 2 September 2009.

An official report launched by the Health Ministry cited that the earthquake killed at least 79 people, injuring over 1,250, and displacing over 210,000! Minimum of 40 kindergartens are damaged or unsafe for use.

THE GOAL
Happy Hearts Fund’s “BRING HAPPINESS BACK” campaign is to rebuild 6 kindergartens for children effected by the September 2nd earthquake in Java, Indonesia!

The 1st GOAL is the raise $200,000 in 2 months starting December 15th. Together, we can change the world. Allow your heart to act on a child’s behalf?

PLEASE HELP BRING HAPPINESS BACK!
Text the word “HEART” to 85944 to donate $5.00
Visit our website www.happyheartsfund.org
Join us on Facebook causes and on our Facebook Page
Follow us on Twitter
Share our new PSA