Passport to purpose: One heart at a time

World Heart Day Initiative – Fundación Estrellita de Belén

On World Heart Day, Fundación Estrellita de Belén had the privilege of transforming a single day into a nationwide movement of education, hope, and empowerment for children across Venezuela. Thanks to the generous donations received through this GlobalGiving project, our team was able to launch a large-scale Advocacy, Awareness, and Education Campaign focused on congenital heart disease (CHD).

This initiative reached thousands of children in communities where heart education is almost nonexistent—yet desperately needed.

A Nationwide Effort Rooted in Art, Love, and Learning

With your support, we visited several schools across Venezuela, creating safe, creative, and joyful spaces where children could learn about their hearts through art-based education. Activities included drawing, painting, interactive lessons, and storytelling—tools that make complex health topics accessible and memorable for young minds.

Our teams and volunteers organized educational sessions in:

• Mérida

• Caracas

• El Vigía

• Barquisimeto

• Zulia, where we proudly served as sponsors of the Heart Walk organized by HAV Foundation

Each location became a celebration of life and health. Children learned where their heart is located, what it does, and why caring for it matters. Many of these children had never received any form of health education before—not at school, not at home, and certainly not in a medical setting. For them, this was more than a class; it was knowledge that could one day save their lives or the lives of someone they love.

Why Awareness and Education Matter

In Venezuela, thousands of children with CHD go undiagnosed or receive late diagnoses due to limited resources, lack of awareness, and systemic challenges. Many families simply do not know the signs of heart disease or the importance of early detection.

That is why awareness is not optional—it is lifesaving.
Education becomes the first intervention a child ever receives.

By teaching children about their hearts, we are empowering an entire generation to understand their bodies, advocate for their health, and recognize when something is wrong. For communities facing economic hardship and medical limitations, knowledge becomes one of the strongest protective tools we can offer.

The Emotional Impact: A Day They Will Never Forget

World Heart Day became a day of joy, unity, and purpose. Children painted hearts full of color, asked thoughtful questions, and proudly shared what they had learned with their classmates and families. Teachers expressed deep gratitude, recognizing how rare it is for their students to receive this type of information.

For our team, it was a reminder of why Fundación Estrellita de Belén exists:
to reach those who are most vulnerable, to educate where there are gaps, and to give hope where there is silence.

These activities were not merely symbolic—they were foundational. Every child we educated represents a future where CHD can be detected earlier, treated sooner, and better understood.

How Your Donations Made This Possible

Thanks to your contributions, we were able to:

• Provide art supplies, educational materials, and heart-health booklets

• Mobilize volunteers and medical educators across multiple states

• Support the HAV Foundation Heart Walk as official sponsors

• Ensure that every child, regardless of location or economic background, could participate free of charge

Your generosity allowed us to deliver a message that every child deserves to hear:
your heart matters, and so do you.

With Deep Gratitude

This World Heart Day will remain one of the most impactful moments of the year for our foundation. Your support gave thousands of children the opportunity to learn, imagine, and celebrate the incredible gift of a healthy heart.

On behalf of the children, families, volunteers, and the entire team at Fundación Estrellita de Belén—
thank you for believing in education, thank you for believing in awareness, and thank you for believing in them.

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