Hope is Life Foundation is formed as a result of a four-year old activity initiated by Natascha Yogachandra who has been shipping used children books to impoverished parts of the globe and opened libraries. She was eleven at that time. With the help of her family, she has opened several libraries in Asia and Africa. The Foundation, among other humanitarian activities, continues to carry on with the goals of Project Book Angels. We have many friends who volunteer and work  towards meeting the goals of the Foundation. They come from various backgrounds.

Ms. Natascha Yogachandra: Co-Founder and Honorary Chairperson: She is 18-years old and currently a sophomore at New York University, New York. She did her IB Diploma at the Ruamrudee International School in Bangkok, Thailand.  She completed her sixth grade at Martha Brown Middle School, Fairport, New York. Natascha started Project Book Angels at the age of seven, with the goal of eradicating illiteracy among children in third-world countries. She was awarded the Young Citizen of the Year 2005 by the Perinton Chamber of Commerce, Youth Citizen of the Year 2005 by Monroe County, New York and Young Volunteer Award 2005 by the Rochester Chapter of United Nations. She also received the Nicholas Green Distinguished Student Award for Gifted and Talented Students for New York State in 2005. In mid 2005, she moved to India and spent two years, studying and monitoring several Foundation activities, including building libraries in south Asia, and moved to Bangkok in August 2007 with her parents.

Ms. Josie Kenyon: Director.  A retired-teacher with the Fairport School district, Josie has been an academia for more than 20 years. Josie was one of the teachers, who lead the Challenger program for the school district. Josie has been involved in community activities in Fairport area for many years. She enjoys working with children and traveling.

Ms. Chandragowri Anandanadarajah: Advisor: From Kent, England, Chandragowri manages some of the activities for the Foundation. A philanthropist and mother of two children, she is actively involved in many community activities in the Kent area. She travels regularly to Asia to help children in villages and promote education among women.

Ms. Diana Schafter: Advisor:  A primary school educator and a mother of two, Diana now lives in Laos with her husband Tim, who is the Director of UNICEF for Laos. Before Laos, Diana and Jim lived in Kyrgyzstan and Chennai, India, where Tim worked as UNICEF Chief. Diana, while living in Chennai, had developed the educational program for the Butterfly Project for local day care centers for fisherman’s children, supported by the Foundation. Diana organized a team of volunteers to train the care takers of the Learning Centers (Anganwadis) in health care and education of children. She also helped in the development of the educational program for the Fishermen children who  lived along the coastal area of Chennai.

Ms.Debbie Yogachandra: Director. An active member of the Fairport community in New York, Debbie moved to India with her husband Nat and youngest daughter Natascha immediately after the tsunami in 2004 to help the orphans of tsunami for about two years and then moved to Thailand and lived in Bangkok till 2010. She was a leader of a Girls Scouts troop and involved in many volunteer activities. She worked for Eastman Kodak Company for several years as a marketing specialist. While in Thailand, she helped monitoring various projects for the Foundation in neighboring countries. She was also a volunteer for the Ruamrudee International School in Bangkok, where Natascha finished her IB diploma program. Currently she lives with her husband, Nat in Lansing, New York.

Nat Yogachandra: Director. Nat is a retired marketing executive from Eastman Kodak Company and has authored several books on cross cultural management. Nat is active with the Rotary International and is a Paul Harris Fellow. He was a participant of the Biracial Partnership Program, an initiative by the Mayor of Rochester, New York. Nat initiated and coordinated a program, entitled “Embracing the Difference,” on behalf of the Fairport School District in New York. Currently he lives in Lansing, New York.