Maya's Hope Lotus Ball, 13th Annual Gala

I discovered Maya's Hope in 2015 while searching for a volunteer opportunity. I started as a volunteer translator, translating letters and reports from the caregivers hired by Maya's Hope to care for orphans in institutions that lacked the funding to provide adequate staff. Through this experience, I learned about children living in orphanages in Ukraine—hidden away in remote facilities, deprived not only of parental care but of care in general. They were placed far from society and often forgotten. Only organizations like Maya's Hope could shine a light on their existence. I cried over those letters, smiled at the hope expressed in caregiver notes, and felt anger and frustration reading medical reports. I began to care deeply about a world I never knew existed.

Then I became a mother. After having my first son, my perspective on children shifted profoundly. Each time I cuddled my baby, I couldn't help but think about the children with disabilities hidden away in Ukrainian institutions, to which even the roads do not lead.

During the pandemic, I found myself with more time and took on additional responsibilities. My volunteer work expanded to programs in the Philippines, where I learned about children living in extreme poverty. Unlike those in Ukraine, these children are visible but still deprived of the opportunities to thrive and break the cycles of poverty. I became a sponsor, providing monthly support to a boy named Ravien, helping him pursue his education and a better future.

After having my second son, I became a sponsor for another child in the Philippines - Kylo. He reminded me of my own children—not because he looked like them, but because I saw their eyes in his. I felt compelled to help.

In 2022, when the war in Ukraine escalated, I volunteered up to 20 hours a week alongside my full-time job and the demands of motherhood with a toddler and a newborn. I spoke with mothers in Ukraine who were desperate to get their special needs children out of the country, those trapped in occupied territories unable to leave due to their children's fragile conditions, and mothers in despair with no one else to turn to. Then I received a job offer from Maya's Hope. I hesitated, unsure of how I could take on this full-time opportunity, but ultimately, I accepted. The program in Ukraine became my cornerstone. Through helping Ukrainian children, I managed to confront the fears and anxieties that came from having my own family in a war-torn country.

This year, I traveled to the Philippines and witnessed extreme poverty firsthand. I had seen poverty before, but never at this scale, so visible and heartbreaking. I visited the hospital to see children whose life-saving surgeries were funded by Maya's Hope. It took three visits before I could stop crying, as I fully comprehended the impact of our work. 

Aaron and I before his VP-shunt surgery for his hydrocephalus:
Aaron and I after his VP-shunt surgery for his hydrocephalus: 
In the Philippines, I met a teenager named Joel who needed a sponsor to help him graduate high school and pursue further education. From managing the program, I know how challenging it can be to find a sponsor for a teenager willing to provide a monthly allowance, as sponsorship typically starts when the child is in elementary school. Despite this hesitation, I met with Joel, his parents, and even visited his home. I spoke to his teacher and his friend, and I decided to give this boy a chance myself. 

Joel and his mom after they learned I would become his sponsor:

That’s how I got my third sponsored child. Joel aspires to become a biomedical engineer, and I am proud to support him on this journey.

This fundraising goal represents my token of effort to support the charity programs I have the privilege to manage. I know firsthand that every dime contributes to putting food in a child's tummy, securing medication for a child that families sacrifice meals for, ensuring a child receives therapy to learn to walk or talk or hold a spoon, or funding a surgery that gives a child a chance at life.

Come to the gala or reach out privately and ask me about these children. I can share stories, show you pictures, and describe a world you may never have known existed. When you think that your donation makes the world a better place, I know it can truly transform someone's reality. The power of your donation is greater than you can imagine—it can bring light to the darkest corners, instill hope where despair reigns, and spark change that will help create a better world for all of us.

I invite you to join me. Please consider making a donation to support the incredible work we do at Maya's Hope. 

Thank you for being a part of this journey!

P.S. And as usual, the soundtrack of my 2024 at Maya's Hope: 
Birdy - People Help the People

All proceeds benefit the children of Maya's Hope. 

Maya’s Hope works to improve the quality of life of orphaned, impoverished, and special-needs children on a global scale.