Volunteers Voice - Laurie Wen

"What did I expect Hope House to be? Perhaps at the far end of my expectations I imagined a safe, warm, loving place for girls to grow up. It seemed to me that this would already be remarkable. But what I found was that I’d suffered from low expectations. The girls themselves don’t have that problem. Being a safe, warm, loving place is just the first step; Hope House goes far beyond it.

It’s a place that encourages girls to be confident and assertive. To have critical thinking skills, to make healthy decisions for themselves, to have a sense of solidarity with others facing challenges, to stand up against injustice, and to lead. And to be joyful and have fun while learning/doing all these important things.

The Director of Hope House, Ruby Nakka, doesn’t just have good intentions. He has a vision of how to help these girls live up to their full potential. He has built an environment to help each girl understand the power she has in shaping her own life.

I’m leaving Vellore tomorrow and I don’t know when I’ll see them again. The night of when I last saw them, I couldn’t fall asleep. My heart was too full: inspired by their resilience, charmed by their friendship, moved by their loyalty to each other, excited by their possible bright futures… these futures are not without obstacles, but Hope House and its friends from all over the world can form a strong support system to help each girl thrive."