HUMANS of H.E.A.T

“The H.E.A.T. Foundation has always been part of the fabric of my family. My uncle founded the charity in 2005 after a trip to Vaniyambadi in India where he witnessed children enduring extreme poverty, with little access to basic provisions like healthcare and education. I began to volunteer from a young age, helping as part of the fundraising team and making our first rudimentary website. Though I’ve been part of H.E.A.T. for many years, aware of the crucial contribution we make to the lives of children in our schools in India and Pakistan, it was only this year that I saw first-hand the direct consequence of our efforts and the generous donations of our supporters. Vaniyambadi lies in the Tamil Nadu region of South India at the foot of the Jarvadhi Hills. Approaching the school, it was hard to believe that before the H.E.A.T. Foundation began construction in 2011, there was no building on this site, that the children of the region would more likely be part of the labour force than sitting in classrooms. Yet here it was, bricks and mortar, desks and benches, textbooks and computers, a vital facility built on donations and goodwill. I happened to arrive on Sports Day and joined in with the applause as a gymnastic troupe entertained the crowd, medals and prizes distributed as confetti filled in the air, and we celebrated the achievements of the children who, given the right start in life had been able to flourish. If I ever had reason to doubt the work we do, here was the proof that the money we raise together, provides such strong and lasting foundations for the lives of so many.”