Santhash, a 13-year-old living in Chennai, India, used to skip school every day to pick fights and roam the streets of his native Anna Nagar slum with his friends. His mother, Vellin, was resigned to a life of poverty for herself and her son. ADRA’s childhood development project in India
Suleiman, a 10-year-old living in Jordan, misses his home in Syria. Forced to flee during the conflict in his country, Suleiman missed a year of school as he and his family made their way to Jordan to start a new life. Suleiman is just one of the thousands of Syrian
When Aloina was 5 years old, ADRA workers found her and her brother living in the garbage in downtown Chisinau, Moldova’s capital. Their home was a cardboard box. With their father dead, their mother—having no interest in them—had abandoned the little children. ADRA’s Rainbow Children’s Home provides a safe haven
Ten-year-old Plaxedes was so excited about her new school in Zimbabwe that she went to class early. About three months early. The foundation had only just been laid when she arrived at the site of her future school—one of 10 ADRA classroom blocks being built in the Gokwe North District—and
Valerie* is 16, the mother of a 4-month-old baby, and a victim of rape. When she was just 14 years old, soldiers patrolling the road into town took her by force and sexually assaulted her. Afraid of the stigma attached to rape, she kept it a secret. In Valerie’s hometown
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
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
Rebecca knows the impact of your support. Her role with ADRA sometimes takes her around the world and into communities where she gets to see how your donations and prayers are changing lives! Recently, she traveled to Kenya where we talked to her about the projects she visited and the
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