Fourteen-year-old Martha is the woman of the house—if you can call it a house. She lives with her two younger brothers and little sister in a small shack with gaps in the wooden slatted sides and floors made of dirt and rocks. They have no idea where their mom is. She abandoned them long ago.

Martha and her siblings are from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a region full of danger and violence, Martha says. “We live alone here, and neighbors who have mercy on us sometimes give us something to eat. Most days we sleep without something to put in our mouths. I was living [with] fear and especially for my younger siblings.”

American Bible Society’s Bible-based trauma healing ministry exists for children like Martha.

“Trauma throws a child into emotional chaos that leads to isolation, depression and social behaviors that make the child more susceptible to further abuse, exploitation and additional trauma,” Jane Jelgerhuis of American Bible Society explains.

The ministry offers proven, effective Bible-based trauma healing in many of the world’s hardest places. And it works.

Martha says, “I participated in the seminar … and I had the opportunity to discover that I can always confide in God. With my brothers and my sister, we read the stories in the book, and the Word of God in the Bible that I received at the seminar. We began to put our trust in God.”

Today, Martha and her siblings attend school and are finding hope for a better future, knowing that they are not alone.

Because of American Bible Society’s financial partners, our work to heal traumatized souls through God’s Word reaches into the DRC, Central African Republic (CAR), South Sudan, Uganda, and other places in Africa. Through the continued generosity of our financial partners, we are launching new programs in Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, the Balkans, Central Asia and the Middle East. Altogether, we expect to reach more than 230,000 people through this ministry with the power of the Bible.