An interview with Lotus of Hope founder Ana Nacvalovaite
Written by Kitty Goldberg
Photo by Meagan Cignoli - New York City
When I first met Ana, full of energy with rolled down jogging pants, an unassuming t-shirt, cappuccino, and not a stitch of make-up, she was still turning heads. At 5′11″, with intense green-eyes and blond hair, she cuts a striking figure. In our interview, I asked her what the difference was between growing up in the U.K., New York and Eastern Europe. “When I was a bit older, my parents and I went back for a visit. The country was in shambles. People didn’t know how to deal with Western society. Issues that used to be dealt with by the government were no longer being cared for,” Ana says. I asked her what it was like growing up in such an influential time – when Lech Walesa had help from Perestroika. “I lived a very sheltered life. However, over dinner with former president of Poland Kwasniewski, and his wife here in New York, and I asked how things have changed since then. He assured me things got much more democratic. On some levels it got easier and some levels it got harder”.
Ana Nacvalovaite has accomplished much since her birth. A respected Oxford scholar and authority on women and children’s rights, Ana moved from her native Lithuania briefly to Poland and then Oxford at 11 years old, where she went boarding school.
With her authority in Human Rights Law, Ana began the Lotus of Hope Foundation, dedicated to helping women and children have access to education in their native countries. The goal is to identify projects globally that have not been tapped by larger organizations, and enable local teachers to go to orphanages, teach the children and give them the possibility to go on to college. Her hope is that they will then return to their native countries after gaining valuable experience. They can then use the education and experience to make a difference in their own country.
“You’re beautiful. Why didn’t you start all your charity work after making a fortune on the runways of Milan?” I ask. Ana laughs humbly. Clearly, I am not the first person to ask this. “I never really think about it,” she says, “It’s something I just feel compelled to do now. Perhaps it goes back to my upbringing. My parents believed before you unleash yourself into the world, that one should start off with a trade in a very grounded area. I decided to go into law but I went into human rights law as an outlet, because it was something I was very passionate about,” she says softly.
Photo by Meagan Cignoli - New York City
Ana splits her time still between New York and London, preparing for her advanced degree in law, but still finding the time in her busy social and work schedule to run her foundation. What is next for this young powerhouse? “We are hoping to expand our outreach efforts into India, Asia, and Eastern Europe”. As I got up to leave, Ana stops me. “You know how beauty contestants always talk about world peace? There is a certain element that beauty does contribute to saving the world,” Puzzled, I ask, “How so?” “Sometimes it opens up doors that would not otherwise open up”, she adds.
Like her, Eastern Europe has grown and fledged, continually reaching new heights. On May 17th, 2009, Dalia Grybauskaitė became president of Lithuania. In winning the election, Grybauskaitė became not only the first female president of Lithuania, she won by the largest margin recorded in presidential elections. Although she left Lithuania at a young age, Ana Nacvalovaite is becoming another dynamo emerging out of Lithuania. She has been a powerful example of what an intelligent strong woman can accomplish. Ana is going to make an indelible mark on the world. She is one up and comer to watch.
For more information about Lotus of Hope, please visit http://lotusofhope.com
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