Taken in by an impoverished aunt after being abandoned by her parents who also left Trina’s siblings to various relatives, Trina* was a teenage girl living in a dangerous situation. If it were not for the watchful care of a classmate’s mom, she might still be living in an unhealthy and unsafe home environment. 

Trina was exposed to the constant threat of abuse from a stream of older men who showed up where she lived every day to purchase (and drink) her aunt’s home-brewed beer. 

Thankfully her classmate’s mom, Mary*, noticed and understood the danger Trina was in at her aunt’s house. Mary also found out that Trina’s aunt was not giving her the basics of life, not even providing her with hygiene supplies. This was partly from sheer poverty, partly from neglect.  

And so, Mary took Trina into her home to raise her as her own daughter. 

Just imagine the trauma this teenage girl has endured and the long road to healing. Thankfully, Mary is not helping Trina alone. She knows that Calvary Church in Livingstone, Zambia offers academic tutoring, counseling and discipleship at their Learning Centre and signed up Trina at the Centre. Trina is a year behind in school and at risk of failing her middle school exams. She came to the Centre a little late, they say, but the team at the Calvary Learning Centre is committed to helping at-risk children and youth succeed. 

But it’s not just about academics!  

“You see God at work here! We meet people who have great challenges and they are looking for hope. We share Christ with them and encourage them, and tell them there is hope for their future.” -Calvary Learning Centre team member, Amos. 

It’s not easy to step into the life of a young person like Trina, who has been through rejection, poverty, academic struggles, and neglect. But there is a trained counselor on site who can help. Children even get a free health check, learn about proper nutrition, and spend time learning about God’s Word and His deep and abiding love for each of his children.  

And academic success will go a long way to helping Trina believe that there is hope for her future. We think it also matters that a teen who has experienced neglect as a child can now feel welcomed into a caring Christian community like Calvary Church, Livingstone. 

Thank you for believing that there is hope for every child’s story – hope for Trina’s story! 

*names have been changed for child’s protection