These 10 stories about children overcoming horrible odds, with the help of our partners and you, provide inspiration and, ultimately, motivation. This is why our mission is to protect and empower our world’s young, and our vision is to create a rising generation free to thrive and create positive change. It’s because our youth can do amazing things, if only given the opportunity.

Enock overcame trauma while still a child and is now enjoying a healthy childhood. 

Enock’s childhood was marred by the abandonment of his father because of a condition in Enock’s eye, poverty, the abuse of a stepfather, and homelessness. With the help he received at a Hope for Justice lighthouse, though, his life is now completely different.    

Alem, rescued from forced labor and abuse by a Hope for Justice team, learned how to trust and love again. 

Trauma-informed care and counseling helped her form the aspiration to become a doctor.    

After having 118 jigger parasites removed from her feet and receiving shoes and training, Nafunya runs and dances again, and helps younger girls at Sole Hope’s Hope Center. 

She was isolated and unable to attend school because of the pain and stigma. Now she’s going to school and helping others.    

Chorvy is a 17-year-old girl from a rural village in Siem Reap province, Cambodia. She not only recovered from trafficking but also gained the courage to testify against her traffickers. 

Because of her testimony, her trafficker was sentenced to two years in prison. She is now going through vocational training and preparing for an independent life.    

Rachel, a 14-year-old girl from Kampala, Uganda, reunited with her grandmother after almost one year apart. 

Because of the help she received at Hope for Justice’s Mary Lighthouse, she’s moving past not only the trauma inflicted by the sexual exploitation she endured, but also the drug addiction she acquired to cope with it.  

Today, Khalianna is living her dream of success in the city. She owns and operates her own café and has reconciled with her family. Now she is free. 

This, after she was tricked by a girl pretending to be her friend into a situation where she was repeatedly raped and forced to prostitute herself.

Despite a rocky beginning when YLA classes moved online because her family had no internet service or computers, Raquel was determined to continue her studies.

Currently, because of the Foundation and our YLA sponsors, she and her siblings have the equipment and internet service they need to excel in school.

Evi knew kids her age suffered from horrible problems like malaria, but she didn’t know how she could help, until she connected her crafting passion with her giving heart.

Once she realized, though, that she could sell the bracelets she made and donate part of the proceeds to the Foundation, her little business took off.    

Isneider was 7 or 8 years old before he saw a computer for the first time, at our Young Living Academy. Without a sponsorship, he wouldn’t have been able to attend the school.

Now, he’s heading to a university to study Information Technology and Computer Science/Engineering.    

February 11, 2021