Nine-year-old María barely remembers what it was like to have a family of her own. Her aunt dropped her off at an orphanage when she was just five. María says, “I miss her. My mum comes to visit sometimes, but hardly ever; that makes me sad.”

In Peru, where María lives, poor families cannot always care for their children. More than half of the people live in poverty. The illiteracy rates are high, particularly among the indigenous Quechua speakers in rural areas. In these often-forgotten regions, frustration can lead to domestic violence. World Health Organization reports violence against women in rural areas of Peru reaches 70 percent.

Girls like María often suffer the worst, so she was thrilled when she could read her very own Bible, discovering the depth of God’s love for her.

“I was a bit sad and low. When I received my Bible, I couldn’t stop looking at it and reading it. I felt a lot better,” says María. “Now I can read it every day, and it helps me. At last I have a Bible, which is what I most wanted!”

American Bible Society helped provide Scriptures to María and is helping make it possible for people of all ages to engage in God’s Word.

Literacy efforts, like the ones helping Peruvian Quechua speakers, are changing lives around the world as more and more people engage in God’s Word.