At Kids Alive Lebanon’s Dar El Awlad School, his teachers knew him as a teenager who learned quickly, participated in class, and usually kept up well with his studies. He was smart, capable, and full of potential.
But over time, his teachers began noticing a change.
Samir’s grades started to slip. He seemed distracted in class. Some days, he looked tired and withdrawn, as if something outside the classroom was weighing heavily on him. The student who had once been eager to learn was beginning to pull back.
In Lebanon, many children and families are carrying pressures that are not always visible. Ongoing instability, limited opportunity, and the stress of daily life can place strain on homes and relationships. For children, that stress often shows up first in the classroom—through exhaustion, withdrawal, conflict, or a sudden change in performance.
For Samir, the change was connected to anxiety at home.
When he made mistakes, his father punished him. Over time, Samir began feeling afraid to go home. To avoid that fear, he started spending more time outside with friends, staying out late and drifting away from the rhythms that had once helped him stay focused and steady. What began as a way to cope slowly began affecting his studies, his confidence, and his overall well-being.
His teachers could have seen only the surface: a student losing focus, spending more time away from home, and falling behind in school. But they did not ignore the signs. Instead, they paid attention.
At Kids Alive, education is not only about academics. It is also about knowing each child well enough to notice when they are not thriving and taking action. Samir’s teachers followed up with him regularly, creating space for him to feel seen, supported, and safe enough to share what was happening. Through their encouragement, Samir was referred to the school psychologist, where he slowly began opening up about his struggles and stress.
That support became an important turning point—not only for Samir, but for his family.
After learning more about the situation, the psychologist reached out to Samir’s father and invited him to meet. Through those conversations, it became clear that his father was also carrying significant pressure and struggling to manage his emotions. Rather than approaching the situation with shame or blame, the psychologist worked closely with him, offering guidance and practical strategies to help him respond differently to stress and parenting challenges.
This is what family strengthening can look like in daily life: not simply addressing a child’s behavior, but walking alongside the whole family so that relationships can begin to heal. Samir needed safe adults who noticed what was happening beneath the surface. His father needed support, encouragement, and practical tools to respond with patience instead of fear or frustration. Together, they needed a community willing to help them move toward something healthier.
Through the team displaying brotherly kindness, it reminded their family that healing happens in community, not isolation. As Scripture says,
“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32)
For Samir’s father, that support made a difference. He was willing to listen, cooperate, and begin applying what he learned. Over time, the relationship between father and son began to change. Their home became less defined by fear and more marked by understanding. Samir began experiencing more support, and the bond between them started to mend.
As that relationship grew stronger, Samir also needed healthy ways to use his energy, express himself, and rebuild confidence. The team helped enroll him in art school, giving him a structured and creative outlet. Instead of spending long hours outside without direction, he began engaging in activities that helped him grow with purpose, like beginning training with his football team.
These changes did not happen all at once. They came through steady care, honest conversations, and a community of adults who refused to give up on Samir or his family.
Little by little, Samir began to return to himself.
His confidence grew. His academic performance began to recover. He started getting back on track, not because one person solved everything for him, but because a circle of support formed around him—teachers who noticed, a psychologist who listened, a father who was willing to grow, and a school community committed to helping him experience stability and belonging.
Today, Samir is not only recovering academically: he is learning what it feels like to be supported, learning that home can become safe relationships and that challenges do not have to be faced alone.
Through family strengthening, Kids Alive Lebanon is helping children like Samir experience the kind of community every child needs: one where they are known, protected, encouraged, and given room to grow.
And as bonds begin to mend, children can step into a future shaped not by fear, but by hope.
Become a Student Champion
Children like Samir need schools where they are not only taught, but known, supported, and encouraged. Your support helps Kids Alive schools provide education, counseling, spiritual discipleship, and family strengthening that help students grow in confidence, stability, and belonging.
Become a Student Champion today and help children learn, heal, and thrive in classrooms where their families are strengthened and bonds can mend.
Nour* is a 16-year-old Syrian refugee living in Lebanon, where many families face difficult decisions shaped by hardship, displacement, and limited opportunity. As she reached her teenage years, her family began encouraging her toward an early marriage—believing it was the best path forward for securing her future and stability.
But Nour had a different hope.
For years, she had been attending Kids Alive’s New Horizons Center, a place where she received tutoring, participated in vocational activities like computer classes and jewelry-making, and spent time in Bible study and community with other girls her age. In a world that often felt uncertain, the Center became a steady place in her life—somewhere she felt seen, supported, and safe. Through the care, prayer, and encouragement she received there, Nour began to see that what God's promises held for her life. She shared with a staff member,
"Now I know that my life is held in God's hope."
As the pressure at home increased, Nour found the courage to speak up. While her family believed marriage would protect her future, Nour shared that she wanted to continue her education and grow before taking on that responsibility. The situation was delicate. Her family did not want outside intervention, and the New Horizons team knew they needed to respond carefully in a way that protected both Nour and her relationship with her family.
As they walked alongside her, they encouraged her to rest in God's promises over her life:
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
Rather than reacting with confrontation, the staff responded with prayer, wisdom, and patience. Suzanne, the Center coordinator, spent time praying for guidance before beginning gentle conversations with Nour’s mother during regular visits to the Center. As trust grew, Suzanne encouraged her to listen closely to her daughter’s heart, reminding her of the importance of education, maturity, and God’s timing in major life decisions.
Over time, there was a shift in Nour's spirit and her family's household.
When the team went on a house visit, they noticed meaningful change in the relationship between Nour and her mother. Conversations had softened. Trust was growing. Eventually, the family made the decision to pause their plans for marriage and support Nour in continuing her education.
Today, Nour continues attending school while growing through tutoring, vocational training, and Bible study at the New Horizons Center. She is building confidence, practical skills, and a vision for her future—surrounded by people who consistently remind her that her life has value, her voice matters, and her future is secure in Christ.
For Nour, what began as a quiet act of courage is becoming a future marked by hope, dignity, and the freedom to keep growing into who God created her to be.
Become a Safe Haven Champion
Children like Nour need safe places where they can grow, learn, and discover that their voice matters. Your support helps provide education, mentoring, spiritual discipleship, and family strengthening that create bonds that mend.
Your support makes that possible. Become a Safe Haven Champion today to allow children to learn how deeply they are loved by God and invited to become fully alive in His promises over their future.
Angel* is a 9-year-old girl in Kenya whose early years were marked by profound loss and instability. She was abandoned by her mother at just 3 years old and later cared for by her grandmother until her passing from cancer. After losing both caregivers, Angel was sent to a new home where she faced extreme neglect and recurring abuse. Without consistent protection, she felt unsafe and unsure of her place in the world. These traumatic experiences led to panic attacks, recurring nightmares, and difficulty concentrating in school.
Everything began to change when Angel courageously spoke up about the abuse she had quietly been enduring. She reported the abuse to a trusted family member, and authorities intervened, removing her from the unsafe environment and referring her into the care of Kids Alive Kenya. What had been hidden in silence was brought into the light, and her voice became the turning point that set her on a new path toward safety and healing.
After arriving at Hall Mead School, Angel was welcomed into a safe, stable environment where her healing could begin. Through trauma-informed care, counseling, and consistent emotional support, she was given space to process what she had experienced and begin rebuilding her sense of safety and trust. The structure, relationships, and steady care around her helped address the panic, fear, and instability she had been carrying. At the same time, the Kids Alive team walked alongside her in the pursuit of justice—advocating for her legal case and ensuring she was supported every step of the way.
Over time, something began to shift. As Angel experienced safety and consistency, the effects of her trauma began to lessen. The panic and fear that once shaped her daily life gave way to growing confidence and connection. Where she once struggled to concentrate, she began to engage more fully. Where she once felt unsafe, she began to trust. Healing did not happen overnight, but through steady care, her sense of identity, belonging, and hope began to take root.
As her case moved forward, her perpetrator was arrested—an important step that affirmed her safety and dignity. Justice, in this moment, was not only about accountability, but about reinforcing that her voice mattered and that what happened to her was seen and taken seriously.
Today, Angel’s teachers describe her as “full of life and hope.”
She is a joyful and confident student who actively participates in class and is achieving good grades. She enjoys sports, especially athletics and handball, and brings energy and laughter to her friendships. She also continues to deepen her faith, participating in devotions and even helping lead songs.
What began as a quiet act of courage is now becoming a life shaped by confidence, faith, and the truth that her voice matters as a child of God.
“I am powerful” means that I have power in Christ. God has given me the power to overcome my past, resist temptations, and live a life of abundance. As Scripture reminds us:
“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)
Each day, Angel is discovering the strength God has placed within her as she continues to step into a future that is no longer marked by fear.
Become a Safe Haven Champion
Children like Angel need safe, consistent environments where their voices are heard and their healing is protected. Your support helps provide the care, advocacy, and relationships that allow children to move from fear into confidence—and into the truth that they are powerful.
Your support makes that possible. Become a Safe Haven Champion today to create spaces where children can be protected, supported, and equipped for the future that is alive in Christ.
Margarita* is a 10-year-old girl from Guatemala who deeply loves her family. When she was six years old, she was sexually assaulted by her father. Margarita and her mother courageously spoke up to the authorities, setting into motion a process that would protect her and begin to change the course of her life. She was referred to Kids Alive Guatemala’s Justice Center in Escuintla, where she began receiving support from a team that provided legal advocacy, emotional care, and guidance for the journey ahead to ensure her safety and path towards healing from the abuse.
In Escuintla, many children who experience abuse face overwhelming barriers when seeking help. Limited access to trauma-informed care, long and complex legal processes, and unsafe environments can leave children feeling unheard and unsupported. Without intervention, cycles of trauma will continue to get transferred. But Margarita’s story reflects what can happen when a child is not left to navigate that journey alone.
For her safety, Margarita was placed in a protected environment—a transition that, while necessary, brought moments of confusion and fear. At first, she struggled to trust those around her. When she first came into care, she had been separated from her mother into care with Kids Alive for protection while the case progressed and the aggressor remained at large. Because of this, she initially associated the people supporting her with that loss of connection. But through consistent care and patient support, she slowly began to feel safe again, and through therapy, she was given space to process what she had experienced and begin healing.
At the Escuintla Justice Center, Margarita was not only supported as an individual—her entire family was invited into the healing process. Through a multidisciplinary team of psychologists, social workers, and legal advocates, every step of her journey was guided with a child-centered, trauma-informed approach. This meant preparing her for legal proceedings in ways that protected her from further harm, while also ensuring she had the emotional tools and support needed to move forward.
Over time, her confidence grew. What once showed as withdrawal gradually gave way to a more joyful and expressive personality. Her mother also received counseling, helping her process the betrayal of her husband and the trauma to her family. She carried the pain of what her daughter endured, alongside the grief of broken trust and the weight of pursuing justice. The Kids Alive team walked closely with her, helping her navigate the legal process and equipping their home to become a stable, protected, and safe environment for the family’s healing journey.
This is the heart of the Justice Center model: It is not simply about pursuing legal outcomes—it is about restoring dignity and creating pathways for lasting healing. Children are seen, believed, and supported. Families are strengthened. And every part of the process—from therapy to court testimony to follow-up care—is designed to ensure that justice does not come at the cost of a child’s well-being, but instead contributes to their restoration.
When it came time to share her testimony, Margarita told her story with courage. With the support of her care team, she was able to speak clearly and confidently—an important step toward both justice and healing. Her voice, once silenced by fear, became the very tool that helped secure her protection.
In 2025, her case reached trial, and the aggressor was convicted and sentenced to 13 years in jail, allowing her to be reunited safely at home with her mother. Afterward, Margarita shared,
“I’m happy because the judge believed me.”
That moment reflects the truth at the center of this month’s message: when children are given the opportunity to speak—and when those around them respond with protection, care, and advocacy—their voice has the power to change their future. As Isaiah 1:17 (ESV) reminds us, “Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression…” This is what justice looks like when it is lived out in a way that restores safety and dignity.
Today, Margarita is back in school, learning and growing each day. What began with courage is now becoming a future marked by safety, restored relationships, and hope for new future together.
And as she continues to grow, Margarita is stepping into a truth that will shape the rest of her life:
She is powerful.
Become a Safe Haven Champion
Healing doesn’t happen in isolation. Your support helps provide the therapy, family care, and legal advocacy that allow children like Margarita—and their families—to rebuild, restore, and move forward together.
Your support makes that possible. Become a Safe Haven Champion today to create spaces where children can be protected, supported, and equipped for the future.
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