Josiane’s infanthood was characterized by tragic events. When she was one, her family left their home and fled the war. They lived in a refugee camp until she was six. A few months after coming back to their village, her mother died.

After the death of Josiane’s father in 2004, Josiane dropped out of school to look after her siblings. “The period between 2004 and 2007 was hard for us. The sorrow of being an orphan was intensified by poverty and hunger. My brother and my sister could hardly get scholastic materials, we had very little food and a few cloths to wear, yet I was my siblings’ hope.”

“I could always wonder why on earth I was born, I several times thought that dying is better than living,” says Josiane with sadness in her face.

Sharon and Albert dropped out of school too. “They failed the national exam that would allow them to go on with the secondary level of public education. I could not afford to pay for their fees in private schools,” says Josiane.

After encountering World Vision in 2007, her life has tremendously changed.

Today, 3,000 children are sponsored in Josiane's community. Thanks to generous sponsors, children receive medical insurance, school supplies and uniforms. Twenty-one classrooms have been constructed for students and seven classrooms renovated.

“World Vision is like a parent to me. It has brightened my future,” says Josiane. "World Vision staff advise me on several issues and provide counseling whenever I need it. They are my family."

Help give orphans like Josiane a future.

Sponsor an orphan today.