Free Shipping on orders over 300AED
Lucy Bruce, Founder of Harmony House
At Retykle, we are privileged to meet inspiring changemakers who are creating meaningful impact around the world. We had the honor of speaking with Dubai-based Lucy Bruce, the founder of Harmony House, an organization dedicated to transforming the lives of underprivileged children and families in Delhi.
We are proud to partner with Harmony House through in-kind donations, supporting their mission to provide essentials and create brighter futures for the children they serve.
Beyond her work with Harmony House, Lucy also co-founded Home Grown Children’s Eco Nursery in Dubai, championing early education rooted in kindness, sustainability, and giving back. In our conversation, she shared insights into how she balances running both a charity and a business while raising a family, and how eco-conscious living is woven into her everyday life.
1. Lucy, could you start by sharing a bit about your background and what inspired you to start Harmony House?
After I met my husband, who is originally from India, we started travelling to the region regularly. During these visits, I was overwhelmed by the poverty I witnessed. One moment that has never left me was seeing a newborn baby on the side of the road being cared for by a three-year-old, both sitting on a newspaper while crowds passed by, doing nothing to help.
That image ignited something in me. By our third or fourth trip, I began looking into local charities to support in Delhi. My friends and I started sending donations, but we quickly realised the funds weren’t being used effectively, and the progress we hoped for wasn’t being made. It became clear that if we wanted every rupee, dollar, and dirham to truly reach the people, we would have to do it ourselves.
We started Harmony House with a deep passion to give back and support those in need. Our goal was to get children off the streets and provide them with education, nutrition, medical and hygiene facilities, vocational training, and social services.
2.What is the mission behind Harmony House, and how has the organisation evolved since its inception?
The idea for Harmony House was born in December 2008, and we opened our first centre in 2010. We started with just 12 children, but the demand grew rapidly. We went from 12 to 50, then to 250, and eventually another 250. Today, we run five centres supporting just over 1,200 children in Delhi.
Our mission is to help our children, their families, and their communities break the generational cycle of poverty. We aim to provide them with the education and tools they need to live a life of dignity, well-being, and financial independence.
While we are focused on Delhi, there is growing interest in expanding the Harmony House model to other parts of India and beyond. We hope to grow our reach and offer support wherever it’s most needed.
3. How do in-kind donations, like those from Retykle, make a difference to the children and families you support?
In-kind donations are incredibly important to us. Most of our children and their families rely on Harmony House for essentials like clothing, bedding, and hygiene supplies.
Delhi experiences extreme weather—very cold winters and intensely hot summers. Providing children with proper seasonal clothing isn’t just about comfort; it’s about protection from illness and infection.
We are so grateful for donations like those from Retykle. They allow us to ensure that children are appropriately dressed and cared for, which makes a real difference to their health and daily experience.
4. You also founded a thriving nursery group in Dubai — how do your passions for early education and social impact come together in your work?
In 2011, my business partner Beverly Jatwani and I founded Home Grown Children’s Eco Nursery after seeing a need for a preschool that taught children about the planet, its living beings, and the importance of giving back.
The idea was simple: it’s never too early to learn kindness—toward people and the environment. Our philosophy of “nurtured by nature” guides an immersive, multi-sensory teaching approach rooted in nature and sustainability.
Home Grown is closely connected to Harmony House through our Paired Partnership Program, where each Home Grown child is partnered with a child at Harmony House. Nursery fees also cover the education costs of their Harmony House buddy, meaning families are supporting two children’s futures with one decision.
Since we launched the program, thousands of children have been supported. Home Grown has become a platform to raise awareness and drive meaningful support for Harmony House—creating a beautiful synergy between education and social impact.
5. What does a typical day look like for you, balancing both your charity and your business and family?
I’ve always tried to align my work life with my children’s schedules. Most of my work happens while they’re at school, which allows me to be present for school drop-offs, pick-ups, and holidays.
During the workday, I juggle responsibilities between Home Grown and Harmony House—meetings, planning, coordination—whatever is needed.
But I could never do this alone. I work alongside incredible teams at both the nursery and Harmony House. These women are dedicated, passionate, and absolutely essential to everything we do.
It really does take a village. Their support makes it possible for me to balance business, charity, and family life—and I’m endlessly grateful for that.
6. How do you and your family embrace eco-conscious living at home? Are there any small but meaningful habits that have become part of your routine?
I truly believe it’s the small, consistent choices that make the biggest difference. In our home, we’ve made simple but impactful shifts—reusing and repurposing items, reducing plastic use, composting food waste, and being conscious of water and electricity consumption.
We also try to buy local and seasonal produce, and involve our children in sustainable practices so they grow up with a deep awareness of the planet.
Eco-conscious living isn’t about perfection—it’s about intention and consistency. These habits become part of your family culture, and over time, they create lasting impact.
How Retykle Maximizes Every Item’s Impact
At Retykle, we believe in creating a cycle of good, not only by helping families extend the life of their children’s clothes through resale, but also by ensuring that nothing goes to waste.
When you sell with Retykle, items that meet our resale ABC standards enjoy another rotation with new families. When items don’t meet our resale ABC standards, and sellers opt to donate, we divert these items from waste and direct them to our network of trusted charity partners, like Harmony House, ensuring they support children and families in need.
Ready to start selling? Book your next free home pick-up here.
