My name is Eylo, and I’m 12 years old. We originally have come from Shingal, but now, we live in a camp. I was four years old when ISIS attacked my town. We lost everything like our home, our possessions, and our sheep. I was very young at that time, but I remember some of that event. 

When ISIS came, we tried to run. At the checkpoint they took everything we had from us, but then they did let us pass. My family joined with some other people, and we were all walking to get far away from that checkpoint. But then they started shooting at us! Everyone tried to run and hide, but one of the shots hit me in the leg.  Like I said, I don’t remember so much about that time, but I remember when I got injured. They carried me and finally we reached the mountain. We stayed there for eight days. On the mountain, people helped me by doing first aid and they bandaged my wound. Many thought that I would die, and my family thought the same thing. But I passed those days with God protecting me. I have healed but the scar and side effects from the shot are still there.

When I came to this camp, I heard about the Tutapona center and the Heroes Journey program, so I decided to come with my friends to the program.

I liked the program very much, and every day I was participating and sharing things with the group and every day my attitude was changing for the better!  I loved learning the Hero Powers, and I really learned what hope means.

I liked the session about hope because in that session there was a story for a boy named Emmanuel with one leg. Even though he had one leg, he overcame many things and had hope to succeed. It made me more hopeful in the life I have and now, next year, I want to enroll in school.  

Because of the generosity of people like you, children like Eylo have found the courage they need to move forward. BUT there are thousands of people with stories that are yet to end with hope. Help Tutapona provide that hope and healing by donating today.

*Name has been changed to protect the individual and family.