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
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
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
Meet Amira, a girl whose childhood was taken from her by bombs and bullets. After fleeing her home in Syria due to the ongoing war, Amira became a child refugee. “For years now, we have been living in tents in this place called a refugee camp,” Amira says. Despite escaping
The Horn of Africa is experiencing the worst drought in four decades, and many leave the region in hopes to better their livelihoods. Regina is one of the millions of people impacted by the drought that has left 80% of the region food insecure. This is her story, and her
As a boy, David, a farmer in the Madagascar town of Mirarisoa, learned about the importance of preserving the environment, but he wasn’t sure how to go about it. Growing up to become a rice farmer, David and his wife, Mary, struggled to keep their land from eroding due to
ADRA Continues to Deliver AID at Ground Zero SILVER SPRING, MD (February 22, 2023) – A second major earthquake and dozens of strong aftershocks hit the devastated region of Syria and Türkiye (Turkey), resulting in additional deaths, injuries, and destruction, but the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) remains committed to
Rosalia Mbula has been waiting for the rain to plant her crops since 2020. She chuckles sarcastically as she recalls the last time her vegetable garden bloomed: “My most recent full harvest was in October of 2019. I grew 90 kg of cowpeas, 90 kg of pigeon peas, and 15
If you’ve been part of ADRA’s family for long, you know that we love water! Every single day, we see the life-saving power of water in the lives of people in every single place we work. World Water Day is March 22, but here are a few ways you can
As the United States observes a national holiday to honor a man who lived a life of service, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., ADRA staff members reflect on how his words and actions influenced their lives. Billy Andre: Never Indifferent Young Billy was walking home one day when he noticed
As we reflect on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we are reminded of the powerful impact one person can have when they stand up for what they believe in. Dr. King’s message of nonviolence and civil rights continues to resonate with people all over the world, and
Every year can bring with it life-changing events, economic struggles, unexpected sicknesses, or even those tiny moments that become the biggest memories of that year. At ADRA, our mission is our purpose—to serve humanity so all can live as God intended. We respond to new crises that impact the most
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