Jamila Finds Her True Value

When Jamila’s* parents passed away, she turned to prostitution as a desperate act to provide for her younger siblings.

After 17 years on the streets of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, she was HIV positive, struggling with addiction, and raising two children by herself.

But all hope was not lost for Jamila’s future. A long-time local partner of Samaritan’s Purse gave her a safe and loving home where she could heal from the past and build hope for the future.

She joined our partner’s year-long rehabilitation program, giving women trapped in prostitution a way of escape through secure housing, meals, medical care, counselling, and job skills training.

Through hope of a brighter future Jamila was able to overcome her addictions and start meaningful work handcrafting fair trade leather bags. As a by-product of her life journey of searching for hope and a future for her children, Jamila came to find the ultimate source of hope – the Good News of Jesus Christ. “I am now a Christian,” she shared. “I started reading the Bible, praying, and attending church.”

Jamila believed that she was not worthy of love and had no value to offer. But after journeying through the rehabilitation program, she found value seeing herself through God’s eyes.

You can help women like Jamila come out of poverty and exploitation finding hope and purpose for their lives.

Tragically, her story is not an isolated case. A $100 donation to our ‘Empower Vulnerable Women’ projects provides a crucial safety net for vulnerable women like Jamila in Southeast Asia and Africa in the form of physical assistance and educational workshops.

*Name changed for security reasons.