Czech supermodel, entrepreneur and philanthropist Petra Nemcova, 38, was in Singapore recently to attend a fund-raiser for the Indonesian arm of her charity, Happy Hearts Fund.
She started the charity – which rebuilds schools in areas that have been impacted by natural disasters – in 2006 and has built more than 170 schools in 10 countries since, including Thailand, Mexico, Nepal and Indonesia.
Nemcova witnessed the pain and destruction natural disasters can cause first-hand when she was seriously injured in the 2004 tsunami while vacationing in Thailand. She survived the deadly waves by clinging to a palm tree for eight hours before she was rescued, suffering internal injuries and a severely broken pelvis.
After her recovery, Nemcova returned to Thailand to help the relief efforts and learnt how schools are often the last structures to be rebuilt, leaving children without access to education for months or even years.
Nemcova philanthropic drive started from young. She grew up under communism in a very poor family, with barely food on the table, leading her to understand the value of opportunities and being able to do what you love.
“I travel and take every opportunity I can. Each one is a gift and blessing, and understanding that is one of the reasons for my drive. It is also why I work to give opportunities to as many children around the world as possible.” she said.
Nemcova believes that education is the only opportunity for children to feel empowered and know their rights and options that are open to them in the world. However, her biggest challenge was making tough decisions about which children are going to get the opportunities and which will not, as funding is limited.
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Source: The Straits Times, 26 March 2018