Canada's health care system provides a blanket of security that we often take for granted.

This goes unrealised until we travel abroad and walk in the shoes of those less fortunate.

Indy Sahota was undertaking a medical research trip to the mountains of Ethiopia and the Himalayas of Nepal and India when he saw how vulnerable locals were to medical emergencies.

For the millions of people living in these regions there is no safety net.

They are exposed through their sheer isolation, extreme climate and limited sustainable investment.

Upon returning from India to his hometown of Surrey, BC, in 2012, Sahota took a step to reverse this situation. 

Enlisting the help of Nidhi Panwar, Harpreet Grewal, Sunny Randhawa and Parvi Sahota – four young South Asian professionals from the fields of international development, finance, law and nursing, respectively – the five have created 'A Thousand Metres Above' (ATMA).

This non-profit, international development fund is dedicated to researching and funding projects in remote communities around the world.

Several reasons brought the ATMA team together, including the desire to give back to the community.

“We believe the combined efforts of like-minded individuals can go a long way in making change happen,” said Harpreet Grewal, Director of Finance at ATMA.

For its first project, ATMA is partnering with the Ladakh Heart Foundation Hospital & Research Centre to raise money for life-saving hospital equipment.

For more information about ATMA and how you can help please visit www.athousandmetresabove.org.