A note from our founder
Since I was young, I have always wanted to start a foundation. It was a dream I imagined I would fulfil in my forties or fifties—something focused on supporting survivors of sexual assault, both women and children. That dream has stayed with me, and it remains at the heart of what I hope La Bonne Femme will become.
I have always held the belief that greatness is stored in the most unexpected places, and that opportunities are a blessing many are not afforded in this life. There is so much someone can carry within them, so much they could become, if only a door were opened.
My hope was, and still is, that by opening doors and giving opportunities, we could change the story of an entire family. That what begins with one person could reach a whole generation, an entire nation, and thereby the world. It is a big hope, but it is one I hold deeply.
In Luke 6:38, we are reminded to give, and it will be given back to us—a measure pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For with the measure we use, it will be measured back to us.
I think about what it means to give as if you are giving to yourself. To put the same care into someone else’s hopes that you would put into your own. Whether it is your time, your resources, or simply putting your heart into something, I believe that kind of giving runs over.
In the same way I hope LBF can give and provide opportunities, I hope the effect will continue on and run over into the generations to come. That something we are able to do today might mean a child, or that child’s child, has a different story to tell.
I once thought I would have to wait until later in life to begin. LBF is me beginning now, with what I have, and with gratitude for every person who has chosen to give alongside me.
Because to me, service is the highest form of honour. To serve my country’s people, and to do the little I can, is the highest honour I can be afforded in this life.
Mikhaila El-Adas
Founder, La Bonne Femme