“In 1975 I fled the village and ran into the forest because of the war. When I was fleeing I got a wound on my leg. It started small but grew over time. Years later, I was taken to Dili where they cut off my leg. Otherwise, I would have died from the infection.
It was difficult to earn money because of my leg. Paying for my children’s school was very difficult. Before, when we had to fetch water from the river, we felt heavy-hearted…”
Everything changed when ADRA came to Maria’s village. ADRA provided clean water sources and agricultural training which has helped Maria double her crop yield and allowed her to flourish.
“Now water is close. We can plant a garden near our house so we feel good.” Maria is excited about her future.
Maria’s husband Florinda shared “After the harvest, we sell some of the vegetables and keep some at home to eat. When we get the money from selling the vegetables I am happy because we can save some, we can put some into the savings group ADRA started, and we can use some to pay for the children’s school.”
Through ADRA’s support, Maria’s life was transformed! She went from worrying about keeping her children in school, to saving for her future. Your support today can help others like Maria create a future from poverty. Read her full story here.