A Path to Healing: Gudu’s Journey from Survival to Homecoming

It all began with a moment of courage.

Walking into the police station in Ethiopia took every ounce of courage 13-year-old Gudu* could muster. He carried more than the weight of his injuries. He carried the hope that someone might finally listen.

Across Ethiopia, thousands of children live in a reality no child should know—long hours of dangerous, exploitative labor that robs them of their education, health, and safety. Many are forced to work in households or other jobs where they face neglect or abuse. Instead of sitting in classrooms, they’re carrying heavy burdens, both physically and emotionally. This loss is more than missed schooling. It’s stolen childhood, broken trust, and deep trauma. Yet, even in the midst of this pain, restoration is possible.

For three long years, Gudu had been separated from his family, from anyone who would listen to him, and suffered mistreatment from an employer who saw him as expendable. But this day was different. On this day, he spoke up.

Police officers heard his story and brought him to our home for boys in the capital city, the AGCI & Tim Tebow Foundation House of Hope, where his healing could truly begin.

The team was heartbroken. They saw a little boy whose small body was almost completely covered with scars. Each one a unique mark of his childhood trauma. Thankfully, in the House of Hope, Gudu was finally safe.

At first, he carried visible and invisible defenses. Aggression. Silence. Emotional withdrawal.

The effects of trauma had disrupted his ability to trust, communicate, and connect. His caregivers, trained in Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI®), understood that every reaction was rooted in survival, not defiance.

They set out to give him what he had been denied for years: a safe adult to walk with him. With a healed person by his side, Gudu finally let the walls he had built up to survive begin to fall.

Slowly, change began to show.

After just a few months, the boy who once avoided eye contact began participating in daily devotions, leaning in during Bible stories, and even praying out loud for others. His emotions grew more balanced. His mind more engaged.

Education became part of his restoration, too. Years of missed schooling had left him behind, but with patient tutoring, he began catching up. Learning no longer felt like a burden; it became something he looked forward to.

All the while, the House of Hope staff was searching for Gudu’s family.

Gudu missed his family. And through the relentless efforts of our family locating team, God opened the door for Gudu and his family to be reunited.

After three years apart, Gudu’s family was relieved he was safe. And alive! 

The team began intentionally working with Gudu’s family to ensure everyone was prepared for his return home. Through regular counseling calls and guidance on how to nurture Gudu’s ongoing healing, it was clear, not only was Gudu ready for reunification. His family was now too.

The day Gudu had dreamed about for years finally came.

On July 21, Gudu stepped into his father’s arms. Their warm embrace was more than a reunion. It was the physical embodiment of hope, courage, and the healing power of connection. 

And in that moment, one more child was no longer counted among the thousands in Ethiopia whose childhoods are stolen by labor and abuse. One more future was set free to grow in education, in safety, and in love. 

One more family was made whole again, family restored. 

Gudu’s story is far from over, but now, it’s one he gets to write with his family by his side. He returned not just to a home, but to a place where love and understanding will continue to grow. 

Every child deserves this chance. And it’s possible because people like you refuse to look away from the hard stories. You choose to be part of the heal. 

Because when we restore children, we restore families. 

When we restore families, we restore communities. 

And when we restore communities, we restore the world. 

*Name changed to protect privacy.