Four years ago, Ababich moved to Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, hoping to find a better life. What she found instead was a deadly lifestyle.

The streets of Addis Ababa are lined with one tiny door after another. These doors open into small, dark rooms just slightly bigger than a bed. This is where she Ababich lives. This is also where she works.

As a prostitute, Ababich works from sunset to sunrise, hoping to make enough money to pay her rent. And each night she lives in fear of being beaten or getting HIV. But there’s more.

Living with Ababich in this tiny room is her one-month-old, Basa. Ababich loves her baby, and she is desperate for a change. And Ababich isn’t alone. Here in Addis Ababa, approximately 150,000 women and girls live and work as prostitutes.

Freedom from Prostitution
To help rescue these young women, we’ve partnered with Pat Bradley and International Crisis Aid. Each week our teams walk the streets—offering encouragement, prayer and the Gospel message. Many have given their lives to the Lord. And some have taken us up on the chance to walk away from this life altogether.

You see, through your support we have recently opened our brand-new Hand of Hope women’s home for those who want to escape the red-light district for good. The home provides food, medical care, counseling, education and job placement. But most importantly, it provides spiritual training. And it’s working.

Several months ago our team prayed with Ababich. She received Christ as her Savior. And just a few weeks later, she left her life as a prostitute forever. Today, Ababich lives in our Hand of Hope women’s home, where she receives love, support and much needed healing.

A Life Worse Than They Imagined
More than 1,000 miles away in Durban, South Africa, we are also making a difference. Here the needs are different than Ethiopia—but just as severe.

Durban is a dangerous place. Locals and tourists alike are warned to take caution. Crime is exceptionally high. But it’s most dangerous for the thousands of street children.

These children come to the city to escape the poverty of rural Africa. Or to get away from an abusive parent. Instead, they discover a life far worse than they ever imagined. Priscilla was one such child who tried to escape.

The Life of a 15-Year-Old Prostitute
Priscilla lives with hundreds of other children in an abandoned gas station in downtown Durban. Her story is tragic.

She left home to escape an alcoholic parent who beat her. But here on the street the beatings haven’t stopped. She doesn’t remember how long she’s lived on the street. She says she is 15 years old. But she looks much younger. And she survives by working as a prostitute.

Her health is poor as HIV destroys her thin body. She sniffs glue to get high. She is like most of these children who will do anything to escape their harsh reality.

Fortunately, Priscilla and her friends can eat a good meal through an organization we support called Umthombo. Umthombo is dedicated to helping children come off the streets.

Reunited with Her Family
We’re helping girls like 14-year-old Pretty who’s lived on the streets since she was 7 years old. With Umthombo’s help, Pretty is now reunited with her family. And the help does not end there.

Pretty and her parents continue to work with Umthombo’s after-care program to strengthen their home life and keep Pretty off the streets.

More Groundbreaking Outreaches
In 2007, we also started supporting a program in Russia that is providing children—mainly teenagers—a place to receive a meal and the critical love and support they need to get off the streets.

Your compassionate support allows us to help these groundbreaking outreaches that are making a difference for poor children and families. We thank our partners for not turning away—for giving the helpless a second chance.

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