Sofía* was fourteen years old when she arrived at Oasis Guatemala. During one of her first conversations, the Education Coordinator asked a question she asks every child who enters the program:
"Do you want to go to school?"
Nearly every child answers yes. Sofía didn't.
It wasn't because she disliked school. She had never been to one.
Growing up, Sofía's world revolved around fields and farm work. She knew how to plant, harvest, and care for crops, but she had never held a pencil, carried a backpack, or stepped inside a classroom. At fourteen years old, she didn't know what a teacher was, had never seen a notebook, and had no idea that schools like Oasis even existed nearby. When the team handed her a backpack, she looked at it with genuine confusion and asked, "What's this for?"
The Oasis team recognized that before Sofía could learn to read, she first needed the opportunity to discover that learning itself could be a safe place. Rather than enrolling her immediately in a traditional classroom, they recommended that she spend time observing preschool. There were no grades to earn or expectations to meet. The goal wasn't to catch her up overnight. It was simply to introduce her to a world she had never known and allow her to decide, at her own pace, whether she wanted to become part of it.
As Sofía slowly entered the classroom, one phrase surfaced again and again.
"I can't."
Holding a pencil felt awkward. Worksheets seemed impossible. Whenever she encountered something unfamiliar, she often froze, began to cry, and quietly insisted she would never be able to do it. Those words became so familiar that Ruth, the Education Coordinator, says she hears them often from many of the girls who arrive at Oasis. They are words shaped not by a lack of ability, but by years of believing that success simply wasn't meant for them.
Sofía's teacher, Saraí, understood that the answer wasn't to move faster through the curriculum. Before focusing on reading lessons, she focused on building trust. She patiently encouraged Sofía through each frustrating moment, celebrated small victories, and reminded her that learning was not about perfection—it was about believing she was capable of growing. Over time, the classroom stopped feeling intimidating and slowly became a place where Sofía felt safe enough to keep trying.
Something began to shift.
One day, Saraí gently told her,
"I can believe in you as much as I want—but if you don't believe in yourself, you're never going to read."
Those words stayed with Sofía. Before long, she started asking if she could remain after class to help decorate the classroom—not because anyone asked her to, but because she simply wanted to spend more time in a place where she felt seen, encouraged, and capable.
At the beginning of the next school year, Sofía officially enrolled as a student at Oasis. Every day she practiced reading, slowly building confidence one word at a time. Progress wasn't immediate. There were still moments of frustration and tears, but unlike before, she no longer stopped when learning became difficult.
Then one afternoon, Sofía walked into Ruth's office carrying a small beginner's reading book.
"We want to show you something," she said.
She opened the book and began to read.
After she finished, Ruth smiled and asked, "Do you remember when you didn't want to come to school?"
Sofía laughed.
"I didn't know what a school was."
For Ruth, the transformation wasn't simply that Sofía had learned to read. It was that the words "I can't" had slowly been replaced with "I can." The girl who once believed learning wasn't for her now eagerly shared what she had accomplished, proudly inviting others to celebrate alongside her.
Sofía's story reflects a truth she is learning to embrace:
Perseverance isn't pretending something is easy. It is choosing to keep going when progress feels slow, trusting that today's small steps can become tomorrow's breakthroughs. Through patient encouragement, caring relationships, and the hope found in Christ, Sofía is discovering that perseverance is often less about extraordinary strength and more about refusing to give up.
As Scripture reminds us:
"Let us not grow weary of doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." (Galatians 6:9)
Today, Sofía continues to grow as a reader, a student, and a young woman who believes her future holds more than she once imagined. The same girl who didn't know what a school was now walks into classrooms with confidence, eager to learn and excited to discover what comes next. Her story is a reminder that education is about more than academic achievement. When children are surrounded by adults who refuse to give up on them, who patiently encourage them through every setback, and who continually remind them of their God-given worth, they begin to believe something new about themselves.
Sometimes the most remarkable lesson a child learns isn't how to read.
It's believing, for the very first time,
"I can."
Become a Student Champion
Through restorative education, discipleship, and individualized learning support, Kids Alive helps students build confidence and discover that God is creating something beautiful within their story.
Become a Student Champion today today and help children discover the confidence to learn, the courage to dream, and the freedom to become who God created them to be.
When Beatrice Asienwa talks about the children she serves, one phrase comes naturally.
"They matter in the eyes of God."
It is more than something she teaches; it is the conviction that has guided her work at Kids Alive Kenya for the past 13 years.
As Program Manager at Nyamarambe Hope Center in Kisii County, Beatrice oversees a wide range of programs that strengthen children and families. Trained in counseling and child therapy, she works alongside social workers, educators, caregivers, and community leaders to help children experience healing spiritually, emotionally, and physically. But long before she stepped into a leadership role, she knew her life would somehow be spent serving vulnerable children.
"What inspired me to join Kids Alive," she explains, "was a zeal to serve vulnerable people, especially children. To me, it is a calling, rather than simply a job."
That calling continues to shape the way she approaches every conversation, every family visit, and every child who walks through the Hope Center's doors.
One child Beatrice remembers well is Vivian.*
When Kids Alive first met her, Vivian was only five years old. After losing her parents, she was living with a disabled guardian who struggled to provide for the family. Vivian often carried her younger brother on her back as she walked through the village asking for food and, at times, even a place to sleep. When the Kids Alive team met her, she had gone two days without eating and was severely malnourished.
But the team didn't see a child whose future was hopeless.
They saw a little girl created in the image of God whose story was still being written.
Rather than addressing only the immediate crisis, the Hope Center came alongside Vivian's family with practical, long-term support. Her guardian received help starting a small income-generating business so the family could begin building stability. Vivian was enrolled in school, provided with the resources she needed to learn, and surrounded by adults who continually reminded her that she was seen, valued, and deeply loved.
Today, Vivian is thriving in high school, excelling academically and dreaming of becoming a nurse one day.
For Beatrice, stories like Vivian's are a reminder that lasting change rarely happens through a single act of generosity. It grows through faithful relationships, patient investment, and a community willing to walk alongside children and families over time.
That same commitment was evident earlier this year when Nyamarambe Hope Center hosted a three-day Vacation Bible School. Although only a moderate number of children originally signed up, many more arrived eager to participate. Through games, artwork, Scripture memory, worship, and shared meals, children experienced something many desperately needed to hear: that God knows them by name, delights in them, and cares deeply for every part of their lives.
Watching children discover those truths continues to bring Beatrice joy.
"Serving these children by connecting with them, sharing the love of God, and meeting their spiritual, emotional, and physical needs brings fulfillment to my heart," she says.
As a servant leader, Beatrice juggles many responsibilities. Leading a team and responding to the unexpected requires flexibility, clear communication, and wisdom. Yet through every season, she returns to the calling that first brought her to Kids Alive: serving children with excellence and trusting God to work through ordinary faithfulness.
When asked what advice she would give to someone considering nonprofit work, her answer is simple.
"It is not about making money. It is a call to serve wholeheartedly. When your focus is on impacting other people's lives, the work becomes deeply fulfilling."
That perspective also shapes how she understands Kids Alive's mission.
For Beatrice, transforming trauma into triumphmeans pursuing restoration until children experience both protection and peace. It means helping families heal, supporting children as they rediscover hope, and believing that every child deserves the opportunity to grow up knowing they are deeply loved by God.
After 13 years, that calling remains as strong as ever. And every child who walks through the doors of Nyamarambe Hope Center is another reminder of why she answered it.
Your support helps caring team members like Beatrice walk alongside children and families with practical help, encouragement, and the hope of Christ. Together, we can help more children discover they are deeply loved, created with purpose, and never alone.
Zangi* was still a young girl when her life took an unexpected turn.
With her father absent and her mother unable to find work in Angola, stability became difficult to find. Wanting a better future for her grandchildren, Zangi's grandmother brought Zangi and her siblings to Zambia, where she worked tirelessly to provide for them through a small vegetable business. Even with her grandmother's determination, meeting everyday needs was a constant challenge, and opportunities for education often felt uncertain.
When Zangi enrolled at Kids Alive Academy in Mongu, she came hoping for an education.
She found much more than that.
At the Academy, she was welcomed into a safe, encouraging environment. Caring teachers made sure she had the learning materials she needed, nutritious meals gave her the energy to focus throughout the school day, and daily discipleship reminded her that she was deeply loved by God. The staff saw a young girl created with unique gifts and incredible potential.
Slowly, Zangi began believing it too.
She threw herself into her studies with remarkable focus and determination. As her confidence grew, so did her academic performance. The girl whose future had once seemed uncertain is now consistently one of the top students in her class.
Education wasn't only helping Zangi succeed academically—it was also helping her discover the unique gifts God had placed within her.
Zangi discovered a love for poetry.
Through writing, she found a way to put words to difficult experiences. Poetry became more than a school assignment; it became a way to reflect on her journey, process difficult emotions, and discover the strength God had been growing within her all along.
As Zangi simply says,
"Poetry gives me a way to express myself and stay strong."
That confidence continues to shape how she sees her future.
Today, Zangi dreams of becoming a lawyer. Having experienced uncertainty herself, she hopes one day to defend those who are wrongly accused, pursue justice, and help create a better future for her family. Her dream is rooted not only in academic success, but in a growing belief that God has given her a voice that can make a difference in the lives of others.
Zangi's story reflects a truth she is learning to embrace:
God created every child as His masterpiece, uniquely designed with gifts, creativity, and purpose. Sometimes those gifts emerge through music or art. Sometimes they are discovered through mathematics, leadership, or compassion. For Zangi, they are taking shape through words that inspire hope and a calling to pursue justice.
As Scripture reminds us:
"We are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago."(Ephesians 2:10)
Today, Zangi is becoming a diligent student, an expressive writer, and a young leader with big dreams for the future. Surrounded by teachers who invest in her learning, discipleship that strengthens her faith, and a school community that believes in her potential, she is discovering that education is about much more than passing exams.
It is about uncovering the unique masterpiece God has been creating all along.
Become a Student Champion
Through restorative education, discipleship, and individualized learning support, Kids Alive helps students build confidence and discover that God is creating something beautiful within their story.
Become a Student Champion today today and help children discover the confidence to learn, the courage to dream, and the freedom to become who God created them to be.
Yasmine* was still adjusting to a new country when she walked through the doors of Dar El Alwad (DEA) School.
Her family had recently fled Syria after growing concerns for their safety as members of a religious minority. The move happened quickly, leaving little time to prepare for what life in Lebanon would look like. For Yasmine, the transition felt overwhelming. She was trying to adapt to a new home, a new culture, and a school system that expected her to learn in a language she barely understood.
School quickly became one of her greatest challenges.
In Syria, Yasmine had not learned English at the level expected in Lebanon's education system. She found herself sitting in classrooms unable to keep pace with lessons, hesitant to participate, and afraid of making mistakes. While her classmates confidently answered questions, Yasmine often remained silent, worried that speaking up would lead to embarrassment. For a young girl who was already navigating the uncertainty of displacement, falling behind academically only deepened her insecurities and made it difficult to imagine feeling confident in the classroom again.
But at DEA School, her difficulties were not viewed as limitations.
They were seen as opportunities to help a child rediscover her God-given potential.
The school worked closely with Yasmine's parents to create a plan that met her unique needs. During school hours, she received specialized educational support tailored to her learning level, and in the afternoons, she attended additional English tutoring sessions designed to help her build foundational language skills. Her classmates also became part of her journey, translating unfamiliar words, helping her complete assignments, and reminding her that she belonged.
Slowly, things began to change.
Yasmine started understanding more of what her teachers were saying. She became willing to try new words, participate in lessons, and ask questions when she was confused. These small victories made all the difference. Today, one of her favorite things to do is run up to the English coordinator in the hallway to proudly share a new sentence she has learned.
The shy student who once worried about falling behind is becoming an active, motivated, and enthusiastic learner.
At the same time, transformation was taking place within Yasmine's family.
Through Kids Alive Lebanon's women's ministry, her mother encountered the love of Christ and chose to follow Him. As their family became connected to a supportive Christian community, Yasmine also began learning something that extended far beyond academics: that Jesus loved her deeply, regardless of her background, her circumstances, or how quickly she learned. The support and encouragement she received from teachers, staff, and classmates helped her grow not only in confidence as a student, but also in confidence as a young believer.
That newfound confidence became evident in unexpected ways.
During Ramadan, while many students at school were fasting, Yasmine boldly shared that she was not fasting because she was a Christian. In a community where she felt known, supported, and free from fear of judgment or exclusion, she discovered the courage to openly embrace both her faith and her identity.
Yasmine's story reflects a truth she is beginning to believe about herself:
Each child reflects unique gifts, creativity, and God-given potential. Growth does not happen at the same pace for everyone, and learning challenges do not define a child's future. Instead, they can become opportunities to discover new strengths, build confidence, and recognize that God is continuing to shape something beautiful within us.
As Scripture reminds us:
"For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago."(Ephesians 2:10)
Today, Yasmine still has English lessons ahead of her and goals she hopes to achieve. But she no longer sees herself as the girl who struggled to keep up. She is growing into a young woman who is confident in her abilities, secure in her faith, and excited for her future.
Become a Student Champion
Through restorative education, discipleship, and individualized learning support, Kids Alive helps students build confidence and discover that God is creating something beautiful within their story.
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