A Pilgrim of Hope: Paul Wilkes and His Mission to Rescue India’s Daughters

As the Catholic Church embraces the Jubilee Year of Hope 2025, we are called to be “pilgrims of hope”—offering light, support, and renewal to those in need. This sacred time reminds us that hope is not just a feeling but an action that can transform lives. One individual who has embodied this mission for the past 18 years is Paul Wilkes from Wilmington, USA. A journalist-turned-humanitarian, Paul has devoted his life to building orphanages and empowerment centres for street girls in India through his organisation, Homes of Hope India. His journey stands as a profound example of what it means to be a pilgrim of hope in our world today.

A Journey That Began with a Smile

In 2006, Paul and his wife Tracy visited Prathyasha Bhavan (Home of Hope), an orphanage in Kochi in the southern Indian state of Kerala. There, he met a six-year-old girl named Reena, who had been kidnapped by the "beggar mafia" and cruelly blinded to make her a more profitable street beggar. Yet, despite her suffering, Reena greeted Paul with an innocent and trusting smile—a moment that changed his life forever.

Reena’s smile had a profound impact on Paul. It instilled in him an overwhelming call to act and do something for the girls of the orphanage. What started as a simple fundraising effort to buy mattresses for the orphanage soon transformed into a global movement dedicated to rescuing girls from human trafficking, poverty, abandonment, and abuse.

A Mission to Rescue and Rebuild

From that first encounter, Homes of Hope India was born. What began as a single home in Kochi has now grown into 33 orphanages, schools, and empowerment centres across India. The organisation, in partnership with eight Catholic women religious congregations, provides shelter, education, and vocational training to girls who would otherwise be left vulnerable to exploitation.

Since 2006, over 5,000 girls have found safety, love, and a future through Homes of Hope. Many have gone on to become nurses, engineers, business professionals, and community leaders, breaking the cycle of poverty and oppression.

A Pilgrim of Hope for India’s Forgotten Girls

As we continue walking through this Jubilee Year of Hope, we are reminded that being a pilgrim of hope means taking action for those in need. Paul Wilkes has exemplified this calling by dedicating his later years to rescuing and empowering some of the most vulnerable children in the world. As a journalist and professor, he had a comfortable life in the U.S., but he chose to pour the last drops of his well into something greater—giving India’s most vulnerable girls a chance at life.

His story is a testament to the power of one person’s yes—how an encounter, a calling, and an act of faith can spark a miracle that keeps unfolding. Today, Paul and his team continue to expand Homes of Hope, ensuring that no girl is left behind, unseen, or unheard.

Join the Mission of Hope.

As we live out the Jubilee Year of Hope, let us follow the example of those who have walked before us. Paul Wilkes has been a pilgrim of hope for the past 18 years, showing us that when we answer the call to serve, we become beacons of light for those in darkness.

Now, it is our turn. We are invited to become pilgrims of hope, extending love, compassion, and action to those in need. To learn more or support this mission, visit www.homeofhopeindia.org. Together, we can continue to build homes, restore dignity, and change lives—one girl at a time.

By Steve Antao