Fifteen-year-old Confridah started high school with excitement. She excelled in her studies and had plans to go to a university in the future. Her father had different plans. He had secretly found a husband for his daughter, and keeping with the custom in many parts of Kenya, he was going
From within her office, 22-year-old Lin sees all the girls who come through the front door of the shelter. Some are just children, cowering in the doorway. Many are on their own, without family to protect them. All are vulnerable to the devastating sex trade that is rampant in Thailand.
Saly and Bintu live in Gao, located by the banks of Mali’s Niger River. The river is a precious resource, and many turn to fishing for income and for feeding their families. Saly’s and Bintu’s families aren’t fishermen, so they tried to grow vegetables. “We did not really know what
Cynthia is not like most 9-year-olds. When she comes home from school, her first priority is not to watch TV or make a snack for herself. She doesn’t start on her homework right away or take an afternoon nap, either. The first thing Cynthia does when she gets home from
For 63 years, Lam felt like a burden. Born blind in the Tay Ninh province, where visually impaired people are considered invalids, Lam struggled with a sense of worth. Then he married and had two children. His family loved and respected him, but he felt like a failure. He was
The day after Christmas in the small community of Dedere, Paula went into labor. Only 17 years old, Paula had never had a baby before, so when the second day passed with no progress, she began to worry. By the fourth day of intense pains, Paula began to panic. The
Ramesh began drinking alcohol at 18, but it escalated to a more serious problem after he married. “He started to fight with me every night,” his wife, Angala, said. “He always wanted money to buy alcohol.” Though he had a job as a day laborer, a common job in India,
Jeanne is a 33-year-old farmer and mother to six children. She lives in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), but she is like every mother in the world, and nothing is more important to her than keeping her beautiful children healthy. When ADRA met with Jeanne, she was pregnant with
Having lost both her parents to AIDS, Mercy lives in an orphanage outside of Harare, Zimbabwe. Unfortunately, the orphanage lacks access to clean water, making Mercy one of the many children living in Zimbabwe at risk of diseases like cholera. Contaminated water and improper sanitation are the primary reasons for
Veronica lives with her husband and three children in Dilor, a small village in Timor-Leste. Every day, she makes at least two exhausting trips to the river and back to provide water for her family. The river water is dirty and often causes diarrhea and other illnesses, especially for her
“Helping others isn’t a job you apply for, it’s something that’s in your heart”, says Miranda Christina Jobe, aged 9. Miranda has found joy in finding ways to help others around the world and sharing a message of service with others. When Miranda, a 4th grader from Danville, Virginia, found the
“Nearly 20%—that’s one in five children— ages 3-17 in the U.S. have a mental, developmental, or behavioral disorder, like ADHD, anxiety, behavior issues, or depression,” says ADRA International’s Mental Health Specialist, Weanne Estrada-Magbunua, MPH, during the upcoming “Let’s Talk Mental Health: How Can I Help My Child” webinar. To start conversations
By James Standish It’s called “survival sex” and that we have a term for it lets you know just how common it is. Survival sex occurs when hungry women and girls are forced to exchange sex for the food they need to survive.[1] Survival sex is only one of forms of
Worldwide, 1 in 20,000 people are born with albinism. In Tanzania, the number is closer to 1 in 14,000. With a population of 66.46 million, this means there are more than 40,000 people living with albinism in Tanzania, one of the highest rates of albinism in the world. People with
As we stop to recognize World Literacy Day on September 8, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) continues to reaffirm its commitment to literacy as a foundational tool for achieving equality, individual empowerment and sustainable development. Michael Kruger, president of ADRA International, emphasizes the importance of literacy in ADRA’s
On World Humanitarian Day, August 19, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) recognizes the dedication and compassion of the many professionals whose tireless efforts drive meaningful humanitarian work. This year, ADRA spotlights Annette Parris, the inspiring Country Director for ADRA Curacao and ADRA Bonaire, whose work exemplifies the profound
As the world observes International Youth Day in August, ADRA is proud to spotlight remarkable young people like Alejandro Flores from La Victoria, Honduras. This small rural village, known for its vibrant greenery and industrious farmers, has faced significant challenges recently. Climate change has severely impacted their financial stability, with
The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) participated in this year’s Young Professionals Conference, held in Houston, Texas, this past summer. This marks the fourth consecutive year of ADRA’s active involvement, showcasing its unwavering commitment to empowering young professionals and fostering awareness of positive change worldwide. The purpose of the
Abed Odeh, a 65-year-old resident of Beit Lahia in the north of Gaza, once led a peaceful life surrounded by his large family of 25. A father of eight, Abed saw all his children graduate from university with high honors. “Education has always been important to our family,” he says
In a small village in the region of El Paraiso nestled among the mountains of Honduras, lives a woman named Santos Victorina Tomás Flores. Santos is the mother of four children—three boys and one girl. Her days are filled with love for her children, but also with the harsh reality
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