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
Monem, a 7-year-old living in Al Masraka, Yemen, makes the mile-long trek through a conflict-ridden area to draw water for his family. The youngest of five children, Monem is starting to show signs of trachoma, a painful and debilitating bacterial disease that has caused his older siblings to go blind.
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
Leticia loves her children. But as hard as she works, they are always hungry. The hunger that Leticia’s children are experiencing is the kind of hunger that not only saps your energy but takes away your future. Without support, she fears her children could become victims of the poverty they
Every gift in our Kids’ Gift Catalog was chosen just for kids. These are gifts that will catch their interest, spark some thoughtful conversations, and hopefully teach them how much of an impact they can make at any age! Plus, each gift comes with a free, downloadable coloring sheet. Use
When we share stories with you about the people and communities ADRA serves, it’s important to us that the unjust reality of life for our neighbors around the world is seen and never forgotten. ADRA’s purpose is to serve humanity so all may live as God intended, and our hope
Humanitarian work is a unique career. Those who are called to this line of work are frequently faced with some of the world’s most heartbreaking challenges, but the results are intensely rewarding. Three of ADRA’s staff members from around the world shared a little bit about their humanitarian careers. Who:
Meher grew up along the route of the famous Silk Road, which once made its way through his home country of Afghanistan. With no formal education, he became a farmer and did extra field work for others to support his family. “I had no major complaints in life as life
ADRA is blessed to be able to honor refugees and all those who have been displaced, through our work every day. This seems especially important now as a devastating new record was reached in 2022. For the first time in recorded history, the number of people forced to flee conflict,
Elianne was on a mission. Making her way around her neighborhood, with her big brother by her side, the young girl knocked on door after door. “Hi, do you have any change?” she asked everyone who answered. “I’m getting money so I can buy a chicken for some people in
Oriana’s mother doesn’t want her to come home. It may not sound like something a loving mother would want, but telling her daughter to stay away may be the most loving thing this mother could do. Years ago, Oriana fled Venezuela with her husband and their young daughter, Lucia, who
The ADRA family has been overwhelmed with prayers, donations, and other support from our community of supporters across the country and around the world! We are so grateful because the power of your prayers is very real, and monetary support is vital in a crisis like this when flexibility is
ADRA is blessed to meet amazing mothers in our work every day. These are the kind of mothers who would do anything, give up everything, and go anywhere for their children. Mothers like Masha and Glendys. These two women have lived vastly different lives, but they are united by the
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