Petra Nemcova

Czech model, author, and philanthropist Petra nemcova established the happy hearts Fund in 2006, two years after miraculously surviving the 2004 Indian ocean Tsunami, which killed almost 280,000 people.

Having witnessed this incredible devastation up close, Petra was moved to create hhF when she returned to indonesia, and realised there was a gap in the disaster recovery programme that her organization could help to fill.

HhF’s main aim is to help heal and restore hope in the lives of children who have suffered in natural disasters, by the rapid rebuilding of schools and homes. HhF has already provided invaluable assistance in 14 countries and is currently at work in six others. As of September 2012 the foundation has built 67 schools, restoring a sense of community to the lives of more than forty thousand children.