We’re celebrating with this young survivor who has managed to excel in his studies after facing exploitation and mistreatment. Two years ago, Abel* was invited into our Lighthouse, a short-term care centre for children who have been exploited or who are at risk of modern slavery, when our outreach teams found him in dire straits on the streets of Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. We were thankfully able to locate his family members and after resolving an incredibly complex legal situation around his custody, we reintegrated Abel with a safe family member. We’re delighted to share that two years after Abel first arrived at our programmes, he is now thriving at school and recently achieved one of the highest grades in his class! 👏👏 You can read more of his story on our website: https://hopeforjustice.org/news/boys-journey-from-living-on-streets-to-academic-excellence/ (fb)

A survivor of exploitation returned to the Hope for Justice Lighthouse where he received support 20 years ago to share an inspirational message about his life since then. Hailu* talked to those now being cared for at our Canaan Lighthouse in Ethiopia, who are boys either exploited or at risk of modern slavery. Hailu told them about how, when he was a 14-year-old boy, he had to fight for survival on the streets of Ethiopia’s capital. Now, 20 years on, he is living independently, he has learned his own trade, and is running his own business. One of our staff members, who was the house mother at the Lighthouse when Hailu was a young boy, said: “He got emotional before giving his speech, and so did I. I’m so proud of him.” (fb)