From Sorrow to Happiness: The Children's Home in Honduras

How would you feel about these pictures if you were not told about their true stories?

You probably think that these girls are attending some sort of school camp, having fun and enjoying each other’s company and the teachers’. You may admire their big eyes and big smiles.

But if you learned about what these girls have gone through before coming to this Children’s Home, you would treasure all the seemingly mundane things in these pictures… Like the fact that they can now dress in uniforms to go to school. And that they have a bed to sleep on and do not need to worry about their next meal. Perhaps, you may even want to visit them now, to hold their hands and give them a hug. You will also appreciate how their home parents care for them so unconditionally.

Their happiness is the result of a lot of love and sacrifices. I hope that you can have a chance to go to Honduras to visit and talk to them one day.

¿Cómo te harían sentir estas fotos si nadie te contara las historias verdaderas detrás de ellas?

 Tal vez piensas que estas jóvenes están participando en un campamento escolar, divirtiéndose y disfrutando de la compañía de sus compañeras y maestras.  Tal vez admiras sus ojos grandes y sus bellas sonrisas.

 Pero, ¿qué tal si supieras lo que estas jóvenes han tenido que sufrir antes de llegar a este Hogar?  Apreciarías todas las cosas aparentemente ordinarias en estas fotos…Como el hecho que pueden vestirse en uniformes para ir a la escuela.  Y que tienen una cama en donde dormir y que no tienen que preocuparse por su próxima comida. Tal vez hasta querrás visitarlas ahora, para tomar sus manos y darles un abrazo.  Apreciarías cómo los papás de este Hogar las cuidan y las quieren incondicionalmente. 

Su felicidad es el resultado de mucho amor y muchos sacrificios.  Espero que un día tengas la oportunidad de ir a Honduras a visitarlas y hablar con ellas.

若不告訴你這輯照片的背景故事，你會怎樣的感覺？

或許你會以為，這群活潑美麗的孩子，參加學校夏日營，一起活動，一起玩攤位遊戲，一起上課，一起做作業，與師長關係良好……你會歡喜她們的大眼睛和燦爛的笑容。

然而若你知道她們每個進入兒童之家前的遭遇，看她們以前的照片，你會更珍貴她們可以穿上校服，打扮整齊上學去；你或會想多送幾個毛公仔放在她們的床上，甚至上前拉她們的手、親她們的面。你也會敬佩「爸爸」和「媽媽」對他們的愛顧及陪伴。

幸福不是必然，希望你有機會去中美洲洪都拉斯，探望信望愛兒童之家，親自與她們說話。

Words & Photos: Violin Chan
English Translation: Joe Lee
Spanish Translation: Katy Lee Law

Ready for school!

The 'papa' of the children's home leading a big group game.

The girl on the right loves making funny faces.

Colourful culture and colourful people.

The 'mama' of the children's home.

Each girl has a nice comfy bed and a personalized wall space.

Rushing to finish homework at the end of a long holiday.

She's happy to be in the Children's Home!

They want you to go visit them one day!

Lily Among Thorns

Photo: Violin Chan
Words: Joe Lee

In the Kathmandu Valley, garbage are often carelessly dumped on nearby river banks or in open fields. Plastic bags clog the rivers and choke drainage pipes, creating floods and spreading all kinds of diseases. When the garbage get too high, they are burned and toxic fumes blanket the nearby houses. The health impacts are felt at all levels.

Yet, there are people who depends their livelihood collecting garbage from these polluted sites. They are the poorest of the poor, struggling to barely survive. Most adults would turn away from being photographed in these situations, because they know that they have been robbed of their human dignity. But these children… they are too young to understand how cruel this world is to them. They smile out of their innocence, but how long will it last? For now, they are still lily among thorns.

I wish that they could also be taken cared of in the Children’s Home, to be sheltered and to be loved. These children are a strong reminder that there is so much more that we can do for this country.

The New Children’s Home in Nepal

Words & Photos: Joe Lee

The unmistakably green and white building emerged from the grain field as we approached it in the van. The 30+ children had just moved into this new home on the week before our arrival. My heart raced a little as we drew near. I had been waiting to see this home and the children ever since I came last time in 2011 when the land was still vacant. Finally, the wait was over and I could see the product of those long hours drawing it in front of my computer screen.

The green was as bright as I anticipated, which matched the brightness of the smiles upon the children’s faces. The cheerful colour palette continued inside. Lavender purple for the main dining hall space. A lighter soothing green for the kitchen and office. Then, two sets of stairs on opposite ends of the hallway led up to the girl’s and boy’s dormitories.

We were accompanied by three girls to their pink dormitory, and afterwards, three boys to their blue dormitory. The boys would definitely hold my hands too if only I wasn’t busy taking pictures. They had sparkles in their eyes as they led us from room to room to show us where they sleep, where they store their clothes and change, where they study, and where they shower. They loved their new home a lot!

Yet most importantly, it was the essence of the home that really mattered. I was excited to see Shanta and Hannah again, the home parents of this great number of children. They worked hard all these years, not simply as workers but with a love so great that matched or even exceeded many fathers and mothers towards to their own children. Because the love of God, the Father of the fatherless, was in their hearts. Thus, the children who once lost one or both parents would not lack love and care again.

Shanta stressed during the inauguration that this was not the end of a project but just the beginning. I look forward to see the children continue to grow stronger in body and spirit, and also many more orphans to find rest in this home. Let us continue to change the lives of the children in Nepal together. All our efforts and donations are well worth the cause.

The new home with the unmistakably green colour brightens the whole rural neighbourhood.

All the children enjoy having their group photo taken as they hold up the gifts that they just received.

The surroundings provide a lot of open space for the children. The boys especially like playing soccer just across the road.

Aprana and the children at the back are cleaning their bowls and utensils after their afternoon snack time. In the past, she worked in the brick factory and was abused by her stepmother. Now, she can smile brightly and never lacks love and care again.

Dhana (the girl in the foreground) is holding the flag of Nepal and dressed in traditional Nepalese clothing to rehearse for the inauguration ceremony.

The stair leading up to their boy's dormitory.

The studying room flooding with sunshine yellow.

The boy's bathroom. Very clean!

The boys are getting ready for their dance for the inauguration in front of over a hundred people.

One of the bedrooms for the girls. Every bed has different dolls that belong to the girls.