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
Every day, Tin Mar Hwe, the headmistress of a school in Than Bo, Myanmar, worries about having enough clean water for her students. She depends on parent volunteers to make eight trips a day to nearby ponds to collect enough water to last the children through the day. Access to
Tsitsi, her husband, Isaac, and their five children had been receiving food aid for their family to survive. Where they live in Zimbabwe, it’s not uncommon to remain in a cycle of food aid for years because it’s difficult to start over when conditions haven’t changed. Tsitsi and her family
Voahary is 15 and is a growing boy in the outskirts of Antananarivo in Madagascar. He sits restlessly in his seat at school, but today he’s lucky. His distraction these days is brought on by his desire to get outside and play, but it wasn’t that long ago that his
Makai’s story is not uncommon in the Mandera area of Kenya. She has lived through times of plenty and seen her family grow and prosper, but her world was forever changed a few years ago. “Before my husband passed away, we used to be one of the leading livestock traders
At the age of 22 months, Halimu fell ill. She could not move or eat and had a high fever. Her mother, Abshiru, did not know what was wrong or what to do. The small village in Ethiopia where she lives has limited resources, and her husband is disabled and
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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