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. With the help of her family, she has opened libraries in Asia and Africa. The Foundation will, among other humanitarian activities, continue to carry on with the goals of Project Book Angels.
We have many friends who will be working towards meeting the goals of the Foundation. They come from various backgrounds.
Ms. Natascha Yogachandra: She is 11-years old and just completed the sixth grade at MarthaBrown Middle School, Fairport, New York. Natascha started Project Book Angels with the goal of eradicating illiteracy among children in third-world countries. She is involved in Girl Scouts and plays piano. She was nominated 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.
Ms. Josie Kenyon: A teacher with the Fairport School district, Josie has been an academia for more than 20 years. Josie is one of the teachers, leading 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.
Ms. Chandragowri Anandanadarajah: From Kent, England, Chandragowri will manage all 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: A social worker and a mother of two, Diana lives in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, South India with her husband Tim, who is the Director, UNICEF for Chennai. Diana is actively involved in many local charities and will be leading the Butterfly Project for the Foundation. She visits the local day care centers for fishermens' children and is instrumental in the transformation of the centers.
Ms. Debbie Yogachandra: An active member of the Fairport community in New York, Debbie lives in Fairport, New York with her husband Nat and their three children. She is 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 and now teaches at the Fairport school district as para-professional, as well as owning her own Mary Kay business and is an accomplished beauty consultant.
Nat Yogachandra: 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 is a participant of the Biracial Partnership Program, an initiative by the Mayor of Rochester, New York. Nat is also leading a program, entitled "Embracing the Difference," on behalf of the Fairport School District in New York.