In the heart of Sudan and South Sudan, we find incredible stories of resilience and determination. Hellen Abuk Dau is one such remarkable example. 

 

She recounted her early experience with one of our anti-trafficking network partners in the region, New Life Ministry (NLM): 

 

“I was brought to New Life Ministry in 2007 by my uncle. I don’t have a father, mother or brother, I only have one sister. My father was killed in the war and my mother was sick from a certain disease and died. When I was six or seven, we remained with our uncle in a poor life that I can’t explain. By God’s chance I got to NLM school which gives me a good life and good education. I love New Life Ministry very much because if it was not NLM, some of us, as orphans and poor, would have died, and through it, we would gain life and education. NLM equalizes us orphans as those who have parents.”

 

Fast forward to 2020. Hellen’s dedication propelled her to high school graduation. By 2021, she pioneered as an intern in our clinic pilot program, igniting her passion for healthcare. This journey led to a scholarship from LUV in 2022, as she embarked on her path to becoming a nurse.

 

Today, Hellen is a proud mother to a young son and is in her second year of nursing school, channeling the care she once received into her blossoming career. 

 

Reflecting back to when she joined the LUV family, with tears, Hellen recalls her first glimpse of students gathered at the morning school assembly. She waited in the office for the leaders at NLM to decide her future, hopeful for a place to call home. She still vividly remembers the exact date of her first night in the dorm — May 2nd, 2007 — when she had a bed of her own.

 

In LUV’s anti-trafficking network, countless children who are vulnerable to poverty and conflict discover more than shelter; they find hope. From a girl who couldn’t even write her name to an aspiring pediatric nurse, Hellen’s journey is a testament that transformation in impossible situations is possible. 

 

Hellen beautifully expressed her gratitude, saying,

 

“Before, there was nowhere to go for help. I went from suffering and feeling bad to having everything! I was given shoes and clothes and food, and a safe place to stay.”

 

After she graduates with a diploma in nursing, Hellen aspires to become a pediatric nurse, driven by her love for children and her desire to care for them just as she was cared for.  

 

During our 2023 visit, Hellen worked closely with pediatrician Dr. Joan Perry, gaining invaluable training in caring for children and families. Read more about Hellen and Dr. Joan here. 

 

Hellen is our Face of Hope. Together, let’s transform more lives. 

 

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