“Share Your Hearts” recognizes the importance of education and how it affects every human being. We hope to encourage the children of India who are in school to continue their studies, and those who are not enrolled in school to seek out education. “Share Your Hearts” will also bring awareness to the importance of education for children in foreign countries with limited supplies.”
The "Share Your Hearts Project" began in 2007 when Juri Edwards attended a study abroad program to India. During that time, she spent two months as an intern for a local non-government organization (NGO) in a village in Rajasthan. She taught English at a local elementary school in the mornings and spent her afternoons with villagers.
To communicate with the local villagers who spoke little to no English, she started taking photographs on her small digital camera. This was the beginning of Share Your Hearts.
When Juri returned to Tokyo, she felt a responsibility to bring awareness and share her experience. She told her friends about her experience and it blossomed into a photo exhibition and fundraiser for the children of India. The exhibition was held in June 2009 for 10 days and attendees were asked to bring school supplies as an entry fee.
Pencils were sold at the gallery to donate to the school in Rajasthan. Hand printed T-shirts and stickers were also sold in the fundraiser, which 100% of the proceeds were donated to the cause. Over 1,000 people came to support the Share Your Hearts Fundraiser, which raised over $13,000 dollars and 7 boxes full of school supplies.
In 2010, Juri and her friends traveled to India to bring the school supplies and donations to various NGO's. Juri also returned to the village she stayed at during her study abroad. They distributed 500 notebooks and over 16,500 pencils to children in Rajasthan.
The "Share Your Heart Project" will continue to support the education of children in India through upcoming projects. Want to get involved?
Please feel free to contact us