When you think of the phrase, “When at first you don’t succeed, try, try again” I think of Roja. The very first child that came to Hope Now so many years ago, Roja has always been a smart, determined young woman.
When Roja graduated from KIMS Medical College in 2019 with a bachelor degree in Physical Therapy, the job market was not open to her. Her HIV status is still closing doors. The good news is no one is going to keep Roja down. After 3 years at college, one of her professors was so impressed with her, he offered her a job at his private clinic.
Roja at work
A bit over a year later, Roja is now running the clinic on her own and manages a crew of 11. She manages their work flow, which includes a complicated schedule of home visits throughout the city, care plans for each patient and oversight of the day-to-day running of the clinic.
It is no surprise to anyone who has watched this amazing woman grow up to see her be so successful in whatever she chooses. In 2020, Roja moved into her own flat. Yasheshwani, another Hope Now college graduate with a bachelor degree in graphic arts and computer science, moved in shortly after she found work at a local start-up in Hyderabad. Yasheshwani is also an artist and has her own youtube channel – yashumakesart – where she posts videos on how she paints.
Outcomes like this happen when you surround kids with the love and support they need to grow into themselves. Hope Now is and has always been a home first. The education, the good food, health care, the supplemental programming throughout the year to teach basic life skills, sports, etc. are great and keep the kids engaged. In the end it is the love and consistent engagement that brings each of our kids into adulthood knowing they are loved, cared for and welcome home any time they want.