Harshita Ravi, the founder of this awareness campaign, led the presentation for the students. She received invaluable support from Lions Club International District 324-J, ensuring the event ran smoothly. About three months prior, Harshita reached out to the Chennai Alpha City Lions Club, who enthusiastically agreed to help after learning about her mission and the impact she aimed to make. Since Harshita is based in the U.S. and her target audience is in underrepresented schools in different countries, she arranged for projectors to be delivered to the schools, allowing students to listen to the presentation via Zoom.

Harshita was inspired to speak about Alopecia for her first presentation because of her aunt, who was diagnosed with the condition 30 years ago, and the reason for starting this campaign. Living in India, her aunt faced intense judgment and rarely left the house due to the stigma surrounding her hair loss. Seeing her aunt’s struggles deeply affected Harshita, motivating her to raise awareness about Alopecia and other autoimmune diseases. Alopecia is particularly impactful because it is visibly apparent, and hair is often a significant part of one’s identity. Harshita recognized the emotional toll it can take, especially on teenagers. During her presentation, Harshita shared her aunt’s story and her personal motivation for advocating awareness, making the session even more meaningful and relatable for the students.

The presentation also covered the medical aspects of Alopecia, explaining how the body reacts and why the immune system mistakenly attacks hair follicles. Students were highly engaged, asking numerous questions throughout the session. To ensure clarity, the school’s English teacher helped translate and explain key points to the students. The Q&A sessions were integrated multiple times throughout the presentation, occurring after every few slides, allowing students to fully grasp the information and actively participate in the discussion.

This first event to the E4AID campaign was a great success. At the end of the session, many students had expressed their gratitude, sharing how much they enjoyed the presentation and how it helped them understand Alopecia and autoimmune diseases better. Their enthusiasm and curiosity reinforced the importance of spreading awareness in underrepresented areas.

In addition to the presentation, the Lions Club distributed school supplies to every student, made possible by the generous donations from the E4AID team.

Harshita is deeply grateful for this opportunity and the collaboration that made it possible. Seeing the positive impact of this event has further motivated her to expand E4AID’s reach, speaking to more schools in underrepresented areas and continuing to raise awareness about autoimmune diseases. She hopes to inspire meaningful conversations, break down stigma, and empower students with knowledge that can create a more understanding and inclusive community.