In Hyderabad, India, there is one of the homes supported by The House Project, where love is transformed into real opportunities for children who have lived through very difficult circumstances. There lives Sandhya, a 20-year-old young woman who is now building a completely different future from the one that once seemed to await her as a child.
When Sandhya was seven years old, her parents —both diagnosed with HIV— received a devastating prognosis: they didn’t have much time left to live. Facing that reality, they made a profoundly painful decision: to leave Sandhya and her older sister Mamatha in an orphanage, hoping that they would be protected there once the parents could no longer be with them. But in that place, the girls suffered mistreatment and abandonment.
According to 2024 estimates from UNICEF and UNAIDS, approximately 13.8 million children worldwide have lost one or both parents due to AIDS-related causes. A devastating global reality that demands attention.
Soon after learning that the girls were not living in a safe environment, one of their aunts took them to the home supported by The House Project, where —for the first time— they began to live in a space full of light, guidance, respect, and, above all, love.
Since then, Sandhya has not stopped moving forward. With discipline, a deep desire to achieve her dreams, and always supported by the leaders of The House Project, she recently completed high school with excellent academic results.
Today, thanks to the support of committed donors, she is studying fashion design at university. Her big dream is to open a boutique of saris, those traditional Indian garments that, beyond their beauty, represent heritage, femininity, identity, and cultural pride. She wants to reinterpret them, blending tradition and creativity into pieces that tell stories.
Supporting her journey is an opportunity not only to change her destiny, but also to inspire many other girls who, like her, came to The House Project without light and are now flourishing.
For Sandhya to continue her studies, we need to keep strengthening our educational support fund. If you believe in causes that transform lives, we invite you to be part of this story. You can help here.
Carolina Plata
Project Management
The House Project
