You may not think that natural disasters are discriminatory. Tsunamis, floods, earthquakes and hurricanes hit young and old, rich and poor, east and west with equal force. But as the empirical evidence shows, when natural disasters increase in frequency, their impact on the poor is disproportionately debilitating. According to UN Habitat, when the fallout of natural disasters in developed and developing countries is compared head on, the injury and death rates can be up to 100 times higher in low-income countries.

The Happy Hearts Fund (HHF) was established in 2006 to work primarily with children in disadvantaged post-disaster areas. We have found over and over again that restoring access to education is one of the most surefire ways to revitalize a disaster-ravaged community. While children are at school, parents are able to focus on reconstructing their lives and families can work on returning to their jobs. HHF is present in eight countries, including Haiti, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Peru, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Hurricane Katrina-affected areas of the United States. Globally, HHF programs benefit more than 12,000 children and 230,000 community members annually.

HHF works to rebuild schools, which brings stability to children and helps them with the healing process. Within the schools, HHF establishes computer labs, which enhances the quality of education and teaches children 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. These community-based small enterprises are particularly critical for the project’s enduring sustainability and the community’s immediate economic reconstruction.

This week, HHF launched the “Bring Happiness Back!” campaign, which focuses on helping children, many of whom are being forgotten after natural disasters. The campaign includes a short PSA video, which we hope will urge people to join us in our efforts to advocate on behalf of children. We have seen the incredible impact that returning to school has on children after natural disasters. It results in not just healing and recovery, but also in the creation of a better future for children and the whole community.

Let’s come together and create an enormous difference to the lives of children!

-Petra Nemcova, Founder and Chair, and Phil Caputo, Executive Director, Happy Hearts Fund