The House of Hope was founded in 1962 by Auntie May. 

May Ladah was herself blind but despite her lack of sight had a great vision for, initially the blind children and adults in and around Bethlehem, and then following this work children with learning difficulties and/ or who were mentally disabled became involved and very much part of the work at the home. 


Culturally in Palestine, people with any form of disability are considered to be of very little use and often families are stigmatised for having a mentally disabled child or a blind relative. There is very little help for families, if any at all, and no way of being able to educate families in helping their relatives.

The House of Hope has always tried to equip the people who come through the doors with the skills needed to be able to face life on their own. Teaching young adults skills in carpentry enables them to learn a profession for themselves and consequentially earn money for themselves.  This in turn gives them a higher standing within their family.

May Lahad recognised these things and encourage the girls to learn sewing and knitting and the learning of a trade continues today with a workshop on site which provides employment to men from the Bethlehem area who have visual impairments.  The men learn to make brushes and brooms to sell to the community and municipalities in the area.  The workshop is an important place to train the adults in a stable trade, to instil encouragement through usefulness and to discourage idleness.  Some of the men from the workshop come daily to the House of Hope to work whilst others live on site all of the time