HUGGS
Canada founder Lisa Heel spent several weeks
early in 2002 working with children in rural
South India. She met bright teenagers with no
alternative at the end of grade 10 but to take
manual jobs or get married. One teenage girl
shared her dream of becoming a nurse and Lisa
left India determined that at least one person
should be given the chance to make her dream
a reality.
With the encouragement and strong support of
family and friends, HUGGS became a registered
Canadian charity in September 2003 and our first
student began her journey towards becoming a
nurse.
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Our Board of Directors
Our Board of Directors is comprised of a dedicated
group of professionals who volunteer their time
and energy to develop the work of HUGGS:
Helen Kline, Chair
Nargis Abraham
Isobel Bodie
Marie-Claire Concannon
Krista Gerty
Marilyn Gullison
Maricela Paniagua
Janet Zlotnik
Monica Zlotnik
Introducing Board Director Nargis Abraham
Our newest Board Director, Nargis Abraham, has been teaching at BCIT for 19 years, having moved to Vancouver a few years earlier from Hyderabad, India. She has a Ph.D. in Communication Studies.
In the fall of 2011 Nargis was in Vizag, India, observing our HUGGS work there for the first time. “Happy smiles. Bright eyes. Eager responses. These are some of the lasting impressions I have of the HUGGS students I met last October,” writes Nargis. “I came away from my Vizag visit feeling really honoured to be involved with HUGGS, and more than happy to contribute.”
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HUGGS Coordinator 
Full-time HUGGS Coordinator Madhu Latha has the responsibility for overseeing HUGGS students, acting as liaison between them and their educational institutions, and keeping in touch with their families. She is in charge of the HUGGS Study Centre and tutors some of the subjects.
Assisting Madhu Latha with tutoring at the HSC is Suresh Kumar, a former HUGGS student who has now graduated with a B.Ed. He says he loves to “give back” to HUGGS in this way, and is a great asset to the HSC program.
HUGGS Administrator
Part-time HUGGS Administrator David Benjamin is responsible for HUGGS finances in India, through SNEHA, a registered Indian NGO.
His assistant and book-keeper, Ramarao, is also a valuable member of the HUGGS team.
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