Emanuela V., born in 2013, was abruptly separated from Naomi and Lorenzo in 2019 when the older siblings moved to our center. Because she was not yet seven years old, the social protection laws (recently revised) did not permit her to stay with her siblings at Hand of Help but had her temporarily move to a foster family. The separation was traumatic for the siblings, and throughout the months of waiting for Emanuela to turn seven, we had to work hard with Naomi and Lorenzo to help them adjust to our family. We knew from the beginning that we would make every effort to reunite them as soon as possible.

The story of Naomi, Lorenzo, and their younger sister Emanuela is one we have sadly heard too many times before. The children were found by the local authorities alone, neglected, and having no one to take care of them properly. After their parents' divorce, the mother was granted sole custody of her children, and for a while, they continued living in their family home. However, when she decided to leave the country and start working abroad, the children were left alone, with no adult to take care of them. Naomi, 14 years of age at that time, had the responsibility to look after their small family.

Months had gone by, and the children started missing school and were in danger of getting involved in various entourages with no one to offer them supervision or advice.

When we welcomed them into our family in November 2019, we immediately noticed how difficult it was for them to communicate and open up to us. They moved into one of our apartments at the orphanage, and our social workers immediately started working with them. However, after losing their parents, they were now having to deal with being separated from their beloved sister.

In 2020, when Emanuela turned 7, we immediately filed all the necessary paperwork to bring her "home." After our case was approved, we had the joy of witnessing the moment the three siblings were reunited. So much emotion, so many tears of joy! Emanuela is now living with her brother and sister in the home at the orphanage named House of Peace. She is a smart young girl, always curious to discover new things, and loves school, music, and crafts. We are truly grateful to God for bringing them together, and we ask you to join us in praying for their whole family to be reunited. It is our desire that their time at Hand of Help would be a time of growth, the first step into adulthood, and moreover, a time of getting to know our God and become obedient servants of His.

We are grateful for the chance that He has given us to sow His Word in their hearts. We thank you for continuing to make stories like these possible, and may He bless you abundantly for working while it is still day!