Andrea Rubin (chairwoman of the board and project manager)

I have been working with people in difficult life situations for more than 16 years.

I gained my work experience as a manager of an institution for people suffering from mental illness and addiction and by taking care of them. I also engaged in projects for development aid and humanitarian aid, which allowed me to gain further knowledge. As a coach of non-violent communication and as an educator of adults, I teach employees in institutions as well as private persons...

... to give them an understanding of the peaceful and connecting attitude of this communication model. Thanks to my specialisation in trauma management, I can now see all sorts of fates and life stories from a different perspective and use this knowledge for my work.

At the beginning of the year 2012, I got in touch with the local and state-independent aid organisation SFDC (www.sfdc-org.in) in Berhampur, Odisha, India. I was fascinated by their work and the relentless effort of the workers. I decided to work voluntarily for this local organisation and went back to Odisha one year later. When I returned to Switzerland after engaging in the field, I founded Hope is life together with Thomas Gentsch to give people in need a voice. During my longer stays in Odisha, I had to witness violence and massive repression of women in the rural villages. With great hope and conviction, we started our first project together with the SFDC, namely the women’s project “No violence against women”.

In June 2014, we founded Hope is life India in India. Now it is possible for us to start our own projects and to put all our heart and soul in our mission to help people in need. Working together with the foundation council members of Hope is life India, Param Singh and Anuma Sadangi, is a great gain for us.

At the end of April 2015, I travelled to Nepal to support people in the field after the heavy earthquake. The successful cooperation with the organisation Homenet Nepal encouraged me to start working also in Nepal in order to stand up for people who are given no rights and/or have been forgotten.