Carmen* came to Kids Alive following years of pain and sadness. After she suffered abuse in many forms, her parents were deemed unfit and she went to live with her grandmother. But eventually her grandmother became too sick to take care of a child who had been so mistreated and neglected, and Carmen came to live at the Ark. When she first arrived, she acted aggressively and disrespectfully to the adults she encountered, since that was all she had ever known. She would fight physically with the boys at the home, and lacked appropriate social skills.
Adapting to life at the Ark has been difficult, but Carmen is making progress every day, improving emotionally, socially, and educationally. She is an intelligent girl who is learning acceptable behavior from watching the other children around her. Despite the lack of academic help she had for many years, she has caught up in her studies and we expect she will continue to improve. Quiet, reserved, but strong-willed, she is beginning to express herself well, and our prayer is that she will soon understand that she is valuable and loved. It is our privilege to share the love of Jesus with Carmen, knowing that true healing and joy can only come from knowing Him.
*name changed to protect privacy