Hrudaya/Cure A Little Heart Foundation Youth Club
What is Hrudaya?
Hrudaya is non-profit 501C organization located in Hyderabad, India that serves underprivileged kids suffering from congenital heart disease.
The Cure A Little Heart Foundation, USA is simply another name of
Until today, Hrudaya has treated nearly 4,500 children who are suffering with heart defects, specifically congenital heart disease, since inception (2005).
In 2017, we have carried out about 520 Surgeries. In 2018, 576 children were treated, of which more than 100 children were supported for treatment by Cure A Little Heart Foundation (CALH), USA.
What is congenital heart disease?
Congenital heart disease is a heart defect that in a child that develops before birth. Whether that heart defect is a hole in the heart, a leaky valve, or dysfunctional vessels, the heart disease prevents babies from living past the age of 1 or 2, without the right treatment. Treatment for congenital heart disease requires heart surgery which costs more than underprivileged families in India can afford. In order to help pay for these surgeries, we are currently working to help raise funds.
What is the purpose of the youth club?
The purpose of the youth club is as follows:
- To bring together youth and inspire them to take an active role in our community through volunteering their services to those in need
- To encourage young people to be involved in Hrudaya and our efforts to fund surgeries for socioeconomically disadvantaged children with CHD
- To equip students with the knowledge and resources to spread awareness about CHD and Hrudaya and hopefully start Hrudaya Youth Clubs at their respective schools
- To empower young leaders with confidence and courage to make a lasting impact on the world
- To connect students with local entrepreneurs and public figures who can provide guidance and support for their future personal and career endeavors
What have we done?
- Working together, we have hosted multiple informational booths at fairs as well as charity marathons. We have sold , Sevathon
- Sold lemonade and cookies at another booth at a fair
- Hosted our main fundraising event=charity dinner where we fundraised over $200,000 to fund almost 250 surgeries in India
- Invited honorary guests to our charity dinner to help support the cause and increase awareness
Youth Club Leaders
Shriya Vejendla
Shriya Vejendla is currently a sophomore at Valley Christian High School. She has volunteered for Hrudaya for over 5 years and helped with various fundraising events. She has been classically trained in Bharatanatyam and continues to learn other art forms like Bollywood, Jazz, semi-classical, and contemporary. Shriya is also a student athlete; she represents her school for basketball and track. Her passion for helping others has influenced her to pursue a career in medicine.
Keerthi Konda
Over the past several years, Keerthi Konda, a senior at Mission San Jose High School in Fremont, CA, has grown to love volunteering her time to serve those in need through organizations such as Hrudaya, Key Club, All Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Little Taare, and many more. She currently serves as MSJHS’s Senior Class President and SURF Representative for the Fremont Board of Education. Additionally, she enjoys performing Indian semi-classical and folk dance forms and playing piano. Her future career aspirations include becoming a Pediatrician and research scientist.
Shivani Gakkani
Shivani Gakkani, now a senior at John F. I High School in Fremont, CA, has been active in serving her community and 
school for many years through organizations such as Hrudaya, her school’s leadership program, BATA, and many more. She is currently Head Club Commissioner at her high school where she is responsible for managing the 40+ clubs that are on campus. She enjoys dancing, as she is trained in Bollywood, semi-classical, and many other Indian dance forms. She enjoys bringing her interest for dance to her high school where she is captain of the Bollywood dance team. She plans to major in Business Administration in hopes of entering the marketing field one day.
Chetana Ganga
Chetana Ganga is a sophomore at Evergreen Valley High School in San Jose, California and has a passion for helping
others around her. As an aspiring doctor, she has taken many steps to learn about medicine. Chetana is a part of many medical and service-oriented clubs at school. She has started her own program, called Fun Science Hour, at local libraries to educate children about various science topics. She has pursued her medical interest by attending medical summer programs, conducting independent research, and serving autistic children. Chetana has been an avid student of Bharatanatyam since the age of 4 and loves dancing in general.
Srijay Vejendla
” Youth Leader ” Srijay Vejendla is a senior at Valley Christian High School.
He has strongly served the Bay Area community through Hrudaya, his own club Marketing for Impact, and Sewa International. He has had numerous experiences in the area of Business and has impacted start-ups in numerous ways. He plays volleyball in school and is the captain of his club volleyball team. Srijay plans to major in Business Administration & Entrepreneur ship to impact the world from a global perspective.