On the first day of school, Jo walks down familiar streets. When he reaches the schoolhouse, it is no different than before. Fewer people lingering in the street, perhaps. Fewer children laughing on the front lawn. One year ago, the Ebola outbreak was a growing rumor in West Africa. It
Thirteen-year-old Samvel is an artist. He paints what he sees, and the picture becomes the scene. He paints what he imagines, and the colors and shapes blossom from the paper like lilies from a field. He has a keen eye and a sensitive spirit, and everyone agrees: Samvel is an
Placidia holds a new pair of shoes in her hands. Her shy smile has grown, and today the 6-year-old is practically beaming as she clutches the simple, black canvas slip-ons. These are the first shoes she has ever called her own. Placidia is the youngest of seven daughters. Her mother
Snezana’s marriage began as something out of a fairy tale. She was young and beautiful; he was older, hardworking, and devoted. Her family disapproved of the union, but the two were in love. She gave birth to two children and stayed home to raise them. He worked even harder to
Danilo is a fisherman from Panay Island in the Philippines. Growing up impoverished, he had no chance to get an education and began fishing for a living at 12 years old. Fishing is the only livelihood he’s known, so he was devastated when Typhoon Haiyan destroyed his boat as it
Rita is an elderly woman who never imagined having to leave her home behind at this stage in life. But when violence and unrest in Syria threatened the safety of her and her family, there was no choice. Rita fled her home with her remaining family members and was unable
At the age of 10, James went to school for the first time. He was ecstatic. He had no idea that in less than three months he would be fleeing for his life from his home in South Sudan, across the border to Uganda. In January of 2014, tribal war
Ekua was barely able to provide for her loved ones. Living in Gambia with her husband, who was out of work, she became the sole provider. She was selling dried fish at the market and earning paltry profits, so the little food she could afford was not nearly enough to
Maria, age 73, is the matriarch of a full house. Within her home are two sons, three daughters, and two grandchildren. Like many subsistence farmers in the rural Alto community, Maria planted corn on her modest parcel of land to feed her household. That year, the rains came too late.
Raniza lives in a village of Tharu, a population of forest dwellers indigenous to the Himalayan foothills of southern Nepal. A few years ago, she was unable to read or write, and her only source of income was cutting and selling firewood Like so many women of her village, Raniza
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
ADRA’s literacy project in El Salvador aims to change people’s lives. “I know in some schools wouldn’t allow me to take classes because I have my child with me. I thank God and ADRA that I can learn with my daughter,” explains Mary Collindres, a student at one of more
Tamilarasi is a 31-year-old mother who is also the breadwinner of her family. She lives with her husband and two daughters in Yenambakkam, Tamil Nadu. Her family’s finances began to dry up after she had to quit her previous job as a papad (dry snack item) vendor. Her husband worked
No one likes being hungry. But when you’re hungry, there’s a big difference between knowing exactly when you’re going to have your next meal and not knowing when you’re going to get something to eat. Beatrice and her family, who live in Kenya, are experiencing real hunger. Real hunger saps
Hannah Ndongu, the Director of Emergency Management at ADRA Africa, shares with us her remarkable journey of over two decades of service as a humanitarian. Ndongu’s journey with ADRA began in 1997, a year that marked the start of her unwavering commitment to serving vulnerable communities across Africa. Over the
In India, ADRA Austria launched an innovative project to provide education to underprivileged children. It’s reported that 21 percent of children in India live in extreme poverty. In order to survive, children are forced into child labor and at times can earn the same amount as an adult to help
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