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Jane Houng, former musician, businesswoman and teacher, is a long-term resident of Hong Kong. She received a Masters in Writing for Children and Young Adults at Vermont College of Fine Arts in the US in 2014. She has published seven children’s books for The Commercial Press Hong Kong and Sing Tao Publishing Ltd, as well as with Oxford University Press, Pearson Publishing and The Asian Review of Books. Publications of 2022 are ‘Asian Elephant Art’ and ‘Memoir of Rebecca Joan’.

Trauma, grief and making an impact through it all

Photo Credit: beckysbathhouse.org

Tragically, in 2017, Jane lost her daughter, Rebecca Dykes to rape and murder. She has since established a charity in Greece called ‘Becky’s Bathhouse’ for refugees, and launched a free panic button for vulnerable women called Becky’s Button.

“Trauma traumatises but it can also transform.”

Jane Houng

A Women-Centered NGO Provides Hope For Refugees in Despair

Becky’s Bathhouse is committed to providing dignity and autonomy to women living as refugees on Lesvos island. 

It gives access to basic sanitation, health and wellness for vulnerable women and children. This March Becky’s Bathhouse’s shower and laundry operations were integrated into the Lesvos based global NGO, When We Band Together.

This autumn, the first of an annual event called The Rebecca Dykes Memorial Workshop will take place in Pennsylvania in the US for writers writing about extreme violence, for children. Her memoir, ‘Beirut Is More Beautiful By Bike’ will be published by Dar El Machreq publishers in late 2022/2023.

Listen in to hear how Jane looks at making an impact, how she copes and lives with grief, and how Becky’s bathhouse has positively served over 15.000 thousand women and children.

Making an impact through it all

Life is full of trauma, grief and despair. But the opposite of grief is joy, I learned that from Jane and I can’t wait for you to hear her story so that you can learn so much more from her too. 

As you listen to this episode, you can’t help but reflect on making a difference in the world in your own ways. 

Listen on Apple, Spotify, Google Podcasts or any of your favorite Podcast players.

In this episode you get: 

  • 06:01 – How Jane copes with the loss of her daughter
  • 09:17 – How Becky’s Bathhouse came to be 
  • 17:17 – Looking at today’s refugee crises and losses
  • 19:00 – The impact of Becky’s Bathhouse
  • 22:02 – Jane’s first steps into Nonprofit work 
  • 25:00 – The story behind Becky’s Button and the response from women about its impact 
  • 31:11 – How Jane looks at making change in the world

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