Since she was in high school, Brianna Cooper, 24, has been passionate about helping children and youth. After her older brother was bullied, Bri and her siblings founded a nonprofit, teaching students to stand up to bullying. “I have a heart to empower kids to make a difference in the world,” she says.

Bri, as she goes by, grew up in Silicon Valley of California with her twin sister and her older brother, rotating between the homes of her divorced parents. She went to private school, was a cheerleader, and loved to dance. But beneath the surface of immense wealth, Bri saw that life in Silicon Valley was not idyllic. “It’s one of the best places for creative entrepreneurs in the country and yet people aren’t fulfilled,” she says.

Bri began going to therapy, but for about eight months felt unable to pray. Then, in January 2019, she attended Soul City Church in downtown Chicago. She felt convicted by the message and comforted by a church member praying for her. And she kept coming back.

Not long after, during a service in late February, one of the pastors invited the congregation to sponsor a child through World Vision — but there was a twist. Instead of congregants searching photos of children and selecting one to sponsor, the way child sponsorship has been done for decades, people would sign up to be chosen by a child in Kenya.

Here was a chance for Bri to join, in her words, “a movement that puts the power back into the hands of the powerless.” Again, she felt convicted. “I’m very much aware of the concept of diffusion of responsibility, which is when you decide not to do an action because you think that somebody else is going to do it …. Sometimes people forget about helping people in other countries. I just felt God saying I needed to do it and I needed to let go and trust him in this.”

In Mwala, a rural community of 40,000 people, two hours east of Nairobi, the freedom to choose is an unfamiliar luxury. Nearly four out of five families are unable to provide well for their children — children like 12-year-old Anna Ndette Muthini.

Outside Anna’s small home is a little garden, where her mom attempts to grow their own food. But it isn’t enough for Anna, her two brothers, and two sisters. They struggle with hunger and walk 30 minutes each way to collect dirty water. Anna’s mother works long days as a farm worker on other people’s land, so Anna works hard to help around the home. She goes to school, where she gets to play soccer— her favorite.

Despite multiple challenges, Anna says, “My life is good right now. The only thing I don’t like is that I sleep on the floor.”