Meet Ally

Meet darling Ally: The youngest of five children. A little girl who loves to sing, dance, draw, and color. But one who almost didn’t make it to this age due to war and instability in her community.

When the rebels attacked her village, Ally and her siblings were separated from their parents. They never reconnected. Ally’s oldest sister stepped in to the role of parent of their family. They became a child-headed household, which is incredibly difficult. In writing about child-headed households, the BBC says, “Finding money for food and clothes usually leads the children to beg. Some girls resort to prostitution to raise money. Fetching water, cooking and cleaning are all tasks that are shared amongst the children.”

These siblings struggled to get by together. Then their situation took another horrible turn – Ally grew severely ill due to malnutrition. Hope was slipping through their fingers. What could they do?

In small Congolese villages, the community is very aware of one another, keeping an eye out for neighbors in both good and difficult seasons. Thankfully, some neighbors of Ally and her siblings had been keeping an eye out for them. Through their church, the neighbors heard of Exile International. These neighbors and the church connected us with Ally and her siblings. Our staff welcomed them all with open arms. We provided them with food, trauma healing sessions, and a community to love them. We ensured Ally had medical treatment for her malnutrition.

As she healed, Ally began to participate in weekly worship services, finding joy in singing and dancing! She is currently in primary school and her favorite activities include drawing and coloring. We love Ally and her siblings as our own family, and we love watching her grow up, heal, and become a peacemaker and absolute joy!

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Sponsor a child! Pray for Ally

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.Sponsorship changes lives!

4,900+ child survivors of war have received the care that they need. Partner with us to provide rehabilitative care for 14 war-affected youth by February 14th – Valentine’s Day!