Hyderabad: Helping people financially is great, but helping them morally is a task, this is something Himaja felt when 9-year-old Sana died of suicide, even after winning her battle against cancer.
“I was successful in aiding her treatment financially but never understood what having hair for her was,” said Himaja.
Sana died after being bullied by her classmates for not having hair. And this was when 30-year-old CH Himaja started helping people. “Doing service means not simply giving money to the poor people, it is understanding the problems, extending support and helping them,” she said.
Himaja is a journalist and had worked for various news channels in the state. She has been helping many cancer patients for almost six years now.
Speaking about her journey, Himaja said, “My journey as a helping hand started when I was 23-years-old and was perusing my graduation in Hyderabad. It was then that I adopted three girls and promised them all financial help to achieve their goals.”
She took extra tutions and worked in local channels and saved every possible penny to help these girls. Currently, the girls are working as a nurses in different hospitals.
With a goal of helping the needy and providing hope among them to survive, she started an independent non-for-profit organization called HLF on February 9, 2016. Now as many as 50 people from the state are active participants.
While hair for girls is seen as something important, for Himaja her hair is a gift for the cancer patients. She grows her hair to make wigs for those who lose it due to the chemotherapy.
Recently, Hamija shaved her head for eight-year-old Spandana, who is now fully recovered.
Her NGO also focuses on providing education to the underprivileged children and to promote good health for the overall development.
Several philanthropists from other states including Andhra Pradesh, Maharastra, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamilnadu also extend their help to her organization.
Himaja said, “Solutions to large global challenges often start with small and local actions. With this motive, we started cancer awareness programs to create awareness among the people. A detailed explanation is given to people to recognize the early stages of various types of cancers.”
Her organization has done various other things including medical camps in slum areas, tree plantation drives, water plantation, distribution of bed sheets, food, groceries and sanitary napkins and blood donation camps.