Fifteen year-old Gabriel’s family life is a tangled, complicated web. His father is in a mental hospital, his stepmother doesn’t accept him or his siblings and refuses to care for them, his mother married a man who physically abuses him and his siblings, and now they live with their grandmother who is ill and unable to work.

“I am always moving, trying to find a place to live for free where I will not be beaten, insulted, or mistreated. When he gets drunk, my uncle beats me and tells me I am worthless. I was able to attend school until the 8th grade, but since then no one has supported me in school. I don’t want to end up like my uncle who smokes and drinks and steals from other people. I want to prove to my family that I can become more than that.”

(Pictured: Gabriel in front of his school, African Vision of Hope School in Kabulonga.)

Gabriel’s sister married at an incredibly young age to escape their hopeless situation. Instead of suffering more abuse, Gabriel began wandering the streets at night and sleeping in drainage ditches. His cousin, Andrew, heard about his living situation and searched the streets to find him. Andrew took Gabriel home with him to the Brothers House of Hope, an African Vision of Hope Rescue Home. The next day, Andrew took Gabriel to the African Vision of Hope office where he was given a place in school, a pair of shoes, a uniform, school supplies, and most of all, hope.

“Today I started a new journey. I have free schooling, and I will work hard to pass my classes and graduate. I am on the waiting list for the Brothers House of Hope, and soon I will not have to sleep in the ditches. I am thankful to God for this opportunity to be rescued.”

(Pictured: Gabriel in his 9th grade classroom at African Vision of Hope School in Kabulonga.)