KAI Team Spotlight: Joelle Abi Saab

KAI Team Spotlight

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Serving With Faith in Lebanon

For Joelle Abi Saab, being a social worker at Kids Alive Lebanon isn’t just a job. It’s a calling rooted in principles that resonate deeply with her. “I loved Kids Alive’s values and felt this is where I need to work,” she says. “I have the same values in life.”

A year into her role, Joelle’s passion for helping children heal and thrive shines through, even as she navigates paperwork and phone calls. She often works closely with the courts of Lebanon on behalf of vulnerable children, a process that can take time and persistence. “There are so many challenges,” she explains. “I’ve learned to be flexible and persistent in following up.”

Her efforts are paying off. Every case completed is another child protected, another family represented. Joelle's work is vital to Kids Alive's mission: Justice that heals. Bonds that mend.‍

Impact that Heals

Joelle finds joy and purpose in her role, seeing God at work among the children in the residential program. One story stands out to her—a young boy from Nigeria who came to Lebanon alone, without family. “When he first arrived, he showed clear signs of trauma and neglect,” Joelle recalls. “Now, through the help of the staff and through prayer, the young man shows signs of healing: he is more confident, compassionate, and most importantly, he loves Jesus and loves singing hymns.”

For Joelle, this kind of transformation is proof that true healing happens when care is infused with faith. “I’ve worked in several organizations, but Kids Alive Lebanon is different,” she says. "I can see the hand of the Lord transforming lives. Without the presence of Christ in the staff and caregivers, the young man wouldn’t have experienced this kind of healing transformation.”

For Those Who Want to Help

When asked what advice she’d offer to others called to nonprofit work, Joelle emphasizes the importance of working together. “You need to have a team spirit,” she says. “You cannot work solo. You also need to believe that you don’t have a magic wand and can’t change the kids’ lives unless the Lord interferes and changes lives.”

Her words capture the heart of what makes Kids Alive’s ministry in Lebanon so powerful—faith that heals, bonds that mend, and a steadfast belief that God is at work even in the hardest places. It's up to us to answer that calling and make a difference for the most vulnerable.

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