Yesterday, I had a call with someone interested in joining Maya’s Hope. She asked, “How did it all get started?”
I replied, “The blunt answer is that my dad is Ukrainian and my mom is from the Philippines.” I always clarify that my dad is Ukrainian because, although his parents were born in Ukraine, he was born in a work camp in Germany at the end of World War II. He came to America as a young boy with his Ukrainian-speaking parents, ready to start a new life.
But Maya’s Hope didn’t start because of my dad; it started because of my mom. She passed away suddenly in 2007, and her loss was something I felt deeply—a wound that wouldn’t heal. I struggled to put my grief into words, and I needed to fill the void left by her absence.
The following year, a family friend of my mom, Fr. Vic Robles, was coming to New York City. I casually mentioned that I wanted to visit orphanages. I had never done anything like this before, but having lost my mom, I felt I could understand the pain these kids experienced.
Six months later, I boarded a plane to the Philippines. Fr. Vic and friends picked me up at midnight, and soon, I found myself at an orphanage in Bulacan. I stayed there for roughly two to three weeks, getting to know the girls well.
I vividly remember one girl asking, “Ate Maya, can I give you a hug?” I was speechless. She was one of the older girls who probably received the least attention and affection. Without hesitation, I gave her a big hug. This moment, captured in 2008, touched my heart and helped me heal after losing my mom. It was the spark that led to the creation of Maya’s Hope.
We started with one orphanage in Bulacan, which then expanded to Manila, various orphanages in Ukraine, and families throughout different regions in the Philippines and Ukraine. What we learned in the Philippines, we applied to Ukraine, and vice versa, shaping our approach as we grew.
Maya’s Hope began over 16 years ago and continues to grow. What started with loss, healing, and a small orphanage had actually begun long ago, when both of my parents were born.
My mom was born in Manila, Philippines, in 1942, and my dad in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany, in 1945. Maya’s Hope officially started when I first visited the Philippines in 2008. ❤️
