As I looked at all their smiling faces and heard their laughter, I was once again amazed at the difference love can make in the life of a human being. These young girls, who have endured such unspeakable atrocities in their lives, now feel safe (some for the very first time) and actually have hope and specific dreams for the future. This is what I witnessed on my recent follow up trip to New Horizons House.
I’ve had the privilege of being a part of the original planning and development of NHH, and I have seen it flourish over the past several years. We currently have 56 girls at our main campus in Podu, and another dozen at our Transitional House (TH) in Bhimavaram. We’ve had nearly a score of girls complete the program and begin new lives in their communities. Before the year is over, we will have seen close to one hundred or more girls blessed with education, counseling, healthcare, and vocational training. Perhaps, more importantly, we will have seen a restoration of trust, the development of strong friendships, and an infusion of confidence that will serve these girls for the rest of their lives. They are learning to love and be loved.
On my recent trip, among other things, I visited our current TH as well as the main campus and had the opportunity to interact with both the girls and the staff. I taught three courses for the staff including basic counseling, the nature of trauma, and secondary trauma (symptoms and treatment). I also had the opportunity to inspect two properties that are under consideration for the expansion of our TH, and, finally, I was able to conduct some individual counseling sessions with some of the girls and staff.
We are full to the brim at our current TH and need to purchase land and construct a bigger one. The TH is critical to the ongoing success of these girls (so far, we have a 91% success rate for girls who have completed the program). We have an incredible opportunity to purchase a piece of land that is adjacent to the Jr. College our TH girls attend, but we need to raise $335,000 for the purchase and subsequent construction of the facility, so we are asking for your help and partnership. Please visit https://newhorizonshouse.org to learn more about NHH and to make your donation today. Thank you!
For the girls,
Dr. Steve Curtis
Executive Vice-President