Losing Everything for Christ
It's difficult to imagine losing your home, your health and the support of the people closest to you. Yet for many families around the world, this kind of loss is a reality. Stories like Hajarah's remind us how quickly life can change. After choosing to follow Christ, she and her children faced challenges no family should have to endure alone.
In this video, Hajarah shares how her husband abandoned the family, leaving them without support. With nowhere else to go, they lived in the bush and struggled to find food, safe water and safety. As hunger and illness became a daily reality, it was difficult to imagine a different future.
For Hajarah, the loss was not only physical. It affected every part of life. She lost everything for Christ, but her story was far from over. Through the support of the local church, she would soon discover that hope was closer than she realized.
Bringing Hope to the Hopeless Through the Local Church
In the video, viewers learn how a chance encounter became a turning point for Hajarah's family. While walking near a banana plantation, Aunty Esther came across Hajarah and her children living in the bush.
She immediately knew something was wrong — the children were pale and dressed in rags. Wanting to help, she shared a photo of the family with three WhatsApp groups dedicated to supporting women and children in the community.
That message reached Aunty Vicky, the local Compassion center director. Compassion provided Hajarah and her family with shelter, comfort and necessities like food and water. Eventually, her children were enrolled in school. Through the local church and Compassion's partnership, Hajarah's family received practical support and a renewed sense of hope.
The children no longer go day and night without food. They are receiving the care they need today and have hope for tomorrow. Most importantly, they have hope in Jesus.
Finding Hope in Jesus
The effects of poverty do not disappear overnight. While Hajarah's family now has access to food, shelter and support, healing takes time.
In the video, Vicky explains that emotional poverty is still evident. Rebuilding confidence, trust and hope can be a long process for families who have experienced trauma and abandonment.
However, while her journey has not been easy, Hajarah now speaks with a renewed sense of hope.
“I have faced many difficulties in my life, but today I have hope in my heart.” - Hajarah
In the video, Vicky reflects on the hope she sees in Hajarah and her children. Their journey is still unfolding, but today they have support, community and a future they can work toward. Hajarah’s story is a reminder that hope in Jesus can be experienced through the care of others, the support of the local church and the belief that difficult circumstances do not have the final word.
Want to provide families like Hajarah’s with eternal hope in Jesus?
Read the Full Video Transcript: Abandoned for Christ | Hajarah’s Journey of Redemption
This transcript reflects the (English) spoken content of the video and is provided for accessibility and reference.
I was just going down near the banana plantation because that's where the greens were. As I was walking, I saw different people, but the lady was down there. I saw the children and was like, "What are you doing here? It's too hot."
The children looked pale and were in rags. She told me, "We don't have anywhere to sleep. We don't have anything to eat." Everything was explaining itself anyway because they looked bad.
I have seen the church help so many people, so I posted the photo on three WhatsApp groups for women only. When Aunty Vicky saw the photo, she called me and was like, "Where are these people? Do you still have them?"
Her story is that at one point she felt a voice telling her to get saved. She chose to become a Christian, and when she talked with her husband, he said, "You are no longer my wife because you've chosen a different path."
So the husband decided to leave her. When the rent ran out, she had no money to pay. They had nowhere to go and had to look for a nearby bush.
I knew they were going to help. I believed God, and it happened.
I'm so happy that at least those children are not sleeping in a bush. They are not pale the way they were. They are not in rags. By the time I reached there, the baby was crying, "Hungry, hungry."
I am so happy that Compassion came in, and for me, it is a miracle.
The family is changing bit by bit, but particularly for this family, the effects of poverty are many. The changes are there, but it is a process.
When we talk about holistic development, you may find that we still have a challenge with the emotional — can I call it emotional poverty? We have to deal with that.
Poverty makes a person think, "At one point, I'll never come out of it."
For us, we have hope that by the end of this year there will be a bigger change in Hajarah's life. Like I said, it is a process. But now there is great hope in Hajarah's family. The mere fact that they are in the program alone — that was the first hope.
Hey, I'm Owen, and I wanted to personally thank you for watching. Will you please hit the like button and share the video if you enjoyed it?
When you like and share this video, it helps us reach more people to help release more children from poverty in Jesus' name.
Be sure to hit the subscribe button so that you can stay up to date with the latest on the Compassion International YouTube channel.
Thank you, and God bless you.