Because of You, Mia Moved From Loneliness to Leadership

Martha’s* first nine years have been marked by many difficult moments and losses. Living in the small community of Bois Savane, Haiti, she once enjoyed the simple joys of being the youngest of five children. But within a single year, that world changed. First, her older brother died after a motorcycle accident. A few months later, her mother passed away. Before the family had time to breathe, her father also died after a brief hospitalization.

For a child so young, the weight of that grief is unimaginable.

When Martha returned to the Haiti Kids Alive School earlier this year, her teachers immediately noticed the heaviness she carried. Nightmares haunted her. Her smile faded. Her little body began showing signs of stress — recurring fevers, stomach pain, and fatigue. She was doing her best to stay strong, but grief touched every corner of her life.

Because of partners like you, Martha did not have to walk through her sorrow alone.'

A Path Toward Healing

She was referred to Mr. Holkens, the school therapist, who began meeting with her regularly. Through careful assessments, he learned that she was deeply traumatized by the deaths of her family members — scoring 7 out of 10 on the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) scale. And yet, despite her trauma, she was not depressed. She was hurting, but still resilient. Still trying. Still open to healing.

Our programs in Kids Alive Haiti are built exactly for moments like this — to walk with children through their hardest stories with patience, presence, and compassion. In therapy sessions, Martha drew pictures, painted, played, and practiced deep breathing. These creative, trauma-responsive tools helped her express sadness she couldn’t yet put into words.

At the same time, she was gently guided toward hope. Using Kids Alive’s Identity Cards — simple, biblical truths spoken over each child — she learned that grief does not erase who she is: loved by God, cherished, seen, and never alone.

Her physical needs were cared for too. The school nurse, Ms. Esther, monitored her recurring symptoms and made sure she received follow-up care. And her older sister, now her primary caregiver, participated in sessions to learn how to support Martha at home.

Slowly, healing began to take root.

New Peace

By June, her therapist saw remarkable progress. Martha was sleeping better. Her body was calmer. Her sadness no longer overwhelmed her. By the time he checked in again this November, she was thriving — healthy, stable, and showing the bright curiosity of a girl who loves to learn.

Even during the hardest months of her grief, Martha continued to excel academically. She reads fluently in French and Creole, earned an average of 8 out of 10 across subjects, and expresses herself with a rich vocabulary and thoughtful ideas. Her teachers describe her as kind, attentive, and full of potential.

Because of you, Martha found a place where her sorrow could be seen, her voice could be heard, and her heart could begin to heal — where trauma is met with love, faith, and the promise of a hopeful future.

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*pseudonym used for safety

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Learn more by clicking here.

In just a few days, Jorge (pseudonym used for safety) will turn 18 — an age that, for many, comes with celebration and possibility. But for a teen who once survived on the streets, uncertain of food, safety, or his own worth, adulthood once felt like a frightening threshold. What might have meant facing the world alone now stands as a doorway to purpose, preparation, and hope.

Before arriving at Juniper Tree Children’s Home, a Kids Alive Safe Haven in Peru, Jorge survived by asking for food and navigating the dangers of the streets alone. “I felt like my life had no value,” he remembers. His childhood had been shaped by instability and emotional wounds no teenager should have to carry.

Because of partners like you, Jorge’s story did not end there.

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A Safe Place to Heal

When he came to Juniper Tree five years ago, he found what every child deserves: safety, stability, and a team committed to walking with him toward healing. “I found exactly what I needed here — love, care, food, and education,” he says. “That made me feel happy and valued.”

Those early days were not easy. Like many youth who have endured neglect and trauma, Jorge wrestled with resentment and mistrust. “Before, I would get upset quickly and stop talking to the staff when they corrected me,” he shares. But a Kids Alive Safe Haven is designed for these moments — with psychologists, social workers, and house parents trained to understand trauma and patiently rebuild trust.

“My psychologist, Eulalia, was always there when I felt sad,” he says. “She reminded me she was by my side, and that made me feel happy.” Through counseling, gentle correction, prayer, and the consistent message of his Life Declaration Cards, Jorge learned to regulate his emotions and release the bitterness that once weighed him down. “I asked God to let me leave this home in peace, without resentment. That helped me change.”

As he began to feel safe emotionally, Jorge’s gifts and determination came alive.

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New Opportunities

He discovered he loved cooking and worked tirelessly to pursue vocational training. Since 2022, he has completed diplomas in pastry, bakery, buffet service, and cake decorating — plus a graphic design diploma and certificates in software, computing, and internet center management. His dedication and curiosity astonished everyone around him.

His confidence grew too. Staff saw his responsibility and slowly entrusted him to travel independently across Lima to classes and training programs — a major step toward adulthood. “That makes me feel proud,” he says.

Now, on the brink of turning 18, Jorge is preparing for his next chapter: finishing high school, studying gastronomy and computing, and building a future rooted in purpose and faith. “I met Christ here,” he shares simply. “Growing up at Kids Alive has been the greatest privilege and biggest blessing.”

And even as he steps forward, his heart remains tender toward others. “To love others… to walk alongside someone who is sad or alone — that’s the most beautiful thing,” he says. “It changes your life.”

Because of you, Jorge is not stepping into adulthood with fear — but with healing, resilience, and hope.

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Give now to help healing happen and hope grow!

Learn more by clicking here.

Alaa’s early childhood was shaped by painful uncertainty. His parents divorced when he was very young, and shortly after, his father remarried. With the changes at home and the instability that followed, Alaa was brought to live at Kids Alive Lebanon, a place that—though unfamiliar at first—quickly became his refuge.

For most of his childhood, Alaa believed his mother had passed away. His father had told him this so he would not ask to see her. And during weekend visits with his father, Alaa often spent long hours outside on the stairs because his stepmother preferred to remove her veil in the home and did not want him inside.

Fifteen years passed before the truth finally surfaced. One day, a neighbor quietly handed him a phone and said, “Talk to your mom.”

Alaa’s world shifted in an instant—his mom was alive, living abroad, and longing to reconnect.

A Safe Place to Heal

While his father’s home never felt welcoming during those early years, Kids Alive Lebanon became the first place where Alaa felt seen, valued, and safe. The staff surrounded him with patient love and consistent care, helping him process the confusion and rejection he carried.

Denise, the Country Director for Lebanon, remembers the journey well.

“Alaa came to us as a boy who had carried far more pain than any child should. Over the years I watched him discover who he was—slowly healing, slowly growing in confidence, slowly embracing the truth that he mattered.”

She saw firsthand the long arc of his transformation.

A New Identity and a New Purpose

Today, Alaa is a confident young man studying Physical Education at university. He loves playing football and dreams of using sports to mentor younger youth, just as he was mentored.

One of the most significant turning points in his life has been spiritual. Coming from a non-Christian background, choosing to follow Jesus was not easy. When he shared his new faith with his mother years ago, she initially rejected him.

But even that chapter is being rewritten.

Now, as a young adult, Alaa is grateful that God is gently restoring his relationship with both of his parents. What was once painful and fractured is slowly healing in ways that only grace can explain.

Alaa continues to show love to his family, serve in his church, and mentor younger boys at Kids Alive Lebanon—the very place that helped shape him.

Because of you, a boy who once felt forgotten discovered a home, a purpose, and a future filled with hope.

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Give now to help healing happen and hope grow!

Learn more by clicking here.