Like the Parent Teachers’ Association (PTAs) in other primary schools found within the Arsi Negelle District of Ethiopia, the PTA of Woyo Hargessa Primary School was established to act as a bridge between parents and teachers and to involve the community in the efforts geared to boost the internal income
My name is Ardo and I live in Kelafo, Ethiopia. I’m a 40 year-old woman, married and have five children. Life has never been easy here and it is hard to meet the basic necessities of life. The shortage of water for drinking and other basic human needs is one
ADRA’s response to Hurricane Matthew in Haiti is still going strong. Our disaster relief has reached more than 100,000 people with clean water, food, shelter supplies, and other resources. Today, Joyeuse shares her story with you. Sixty-year-old Joyeuse Sincere has never lived anywhere outside the uplands of Roche-A-Bateaux in Haiti,
Hpa-an, the capital of the Karen (Kayin) State in southeast Myanmar historically has seen some very hard times. The lack of available work for disadvantaged youth with little skills and minimal education leads them to drugs and alcohol. ADRA Myanmar saw an opportunity to engage with these young people by
Thein Paing and his family have lived for generations in Myanmar’s Central Dryzone, an area that today is on the brink of desertification causing food insecurity and deepening poverty. Hailing from a family of farmers, Thein Paing never completed school reluctantly choosing to follow in his father’s footsteps. As changes
Fahad, 24, is an ADRA translator from Iraq. His family left when he was 14 years old. “There was no electricity and no water. I go out and see dead people, I see bombs. I was in school when a bomb fell nearby, and blew out the windows of the
When Europe started closing its borders and refugees entering Greece became stranded, many of them congregated in Idomeni. The informal camp was the largest in Greece, with more than 10,000 people gathering at the Macedonian border hoping to be allowed to continue on their journey. In an unofficial camp, there
Lina, 25, is Serbian-Syrian, born in Serbia to a Serbian mother and Syrian father. When she was 12, her father died, and she traveled to Syria with her mother and older brother, Samir, to return his body to his homeland. They didn’t plan to stay long, but as her mother
It all started as a normal Sabbath—I went to church with my family, and we had lunch with friends. Then I received a phone call: “Get prepared. There are several thousand refugees approaching the Slovenian border.” There was never a question as to whether we would help. A few hours
It’s been three years, but Loubana’s children still have nightmares about the day their Syrian home was bombed. “I remember when I hid under the stairs when the bombs were falling,” says Nour, who was only 6 at the time. Loubana and her family had a good life in Syria.
Hear ye, hear ye, the most anticipated time of the year has finally arrived, and no, I’m not talking about Christmas. I’ll give you a few clues: it’s a season where the bright yellow sun casts fun shadows for us to chase after; the local pools begin to sparkle with
Meet Ahmed, an 11-year-old refugee who fled the war in Syria with his family a decade ago, seeking safety in Lebanon. Ahmed and his family now live in a makeshift tent made of tarpaulins and various scraps, near a cashew nut farm owned by their landlord. During school breaks, Ahmed
(May 21, 2024) Pastor Ahmed Mohamed knelt by the side of the dusty road where he, his wife and three children had paused to rest. “God save us!” he prayed. “How can I preach Your word, if I am dead?” He looked at his family huddled under a lone tree
SILVER SPRING, MD (May 1, 2024) – On the morning of February 7, Trinidad and Tobago’s fishermen set out under the usual azure skies, their boats slicing through the tranquil waters. But this day would mark a profound shift in the island’s serenity. Instead of the familiar blue expanse, they encountered
Before eating Before cooking Before giving food to the child Wash your hands! It is not uncommon for Balilo Pedro Papy to hear those lyrics on the air while working in communities in the Kitangua health zone of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). After going to the latrine, Mom
Ingrid Flores is a single woman living with her mother and young son in the dry corridor of Honduras where more than half of the population is living in substandard conditions. For years she lived with an abusive husband until one day he beat her and left her lying on
SILVER SPRING, MD (March 8, 2024) – The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is honoring International Women’s Day (March 8) and National Women’s History Month by spotlighting the amazing stories of the mission’s female leaders. The United Nations designated the 2024 Women’s theme, as the year to inspire inclusion and
By James Standish “Bucaramanga?”, my friend Mike chuckles1, “nope, never heard of it – but I’m amused to learn that a place called Boo·kaa·ruh·maang·guh even exists!” Mike sounds it out one syllable at a time as we’re sitting in a bagel shop in midtown Manhattan, not too far from the
It’s been reported that global fatalities have increased in 2023 by 30% compared to the previous year due to floods, wildfires, cyclones, storms, landslides, and other disasters. ADRA has been on the frontlines helping communities worldwide who are grappling with the aftermath of disasters and emergencies. In 2023, ADRA responded
Martin Luther King, Jr. described poverty as a monstrous octopus that “projects its nagging, prehensile tentacles in lands and villages all over the world.” This is the beast ADRA Connections volunteers are fighting. ADRA Connections volunteers are partnering with communities to fight this monster. Just ask Kusi. Kusi is part
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