I just want to have a friend...

The sound of laughter rang out across the sun-washed campgrounds, bright and full of life. Everywhere there were children running, singing and playing. But at the edge of the crowd stood seven-year-old Arlina*, her small hand locked tightly around her mother’s. She wasn’t ready to let go.

Arlina is only seven years old, but her world has long been overshadowed by fear, loneliness, and uncertainty. As the only daughter of Rina, 41, who endured years of

brutal domestic violence, Arlina has grown up in the shadow of trauma. She has never had close friends. Safety, for her, has always meant staying close to her mother.

“I grew up believing that a husband is for a lifetime, no matter how he treats you," Rina* said. She comes from a remote northern region of Albania, where traditional patriarchal values dominate.

For five years, Rina endured relentless physical and emotional abuse from her ex-husband. He attacked her with knives and screwdrivers, and during one violent outburst aimed at Rina, Arlina’s hand was injured too.

Arlina & her mother Rina at home in Albania

Many of Arlina's drawings depicted sadness

Rina later discovered her ex-husband had a history of domestic violence, including a previous marriage that ended with a four-year prison sentence for abuse. Determined to protect her daughter, she made the decision to divorce him.

The divorce eventually brought safety – but not peace.

Today, Arlina is shy and deeply insecure. She has never been apart from her mother and is still haunted by memories of her father’s violence. While other children her age play freely, she struggles to connect.

“I just want to have a friend… someone to play with,” Arlina whispered, her eyes fixed on the ground.

This summer marked a milestone: for the first time, Arlina was invited to attend Mission Without Borders’ annual children’s camp: one of the largest in Albania, welcoming around 400 children from vulnerable families.

Because of Arlina’s fragile emotional state, the team also invited Rina to attend as a camp volunteer, at her request.

“When we arrived, I could see the fear in her eyes,” Rina said. “There were so many children, so much noise and activity.

“She immediately clung to my hand and whispered, ‘Don’t leave me, mum!’”

For the first few days, Arlina stayed close, watching from the sidelines as other children sang, played, and ran freely.

“I didn’t want to leave my mother. I was afraid,” Arlina said softly. “Some girls asked me to play with them. But I preferred to stay with my mum close to me.”

But slowly something began to shift. The gentle encouragement, creative activities, worship, crafts, and Bible stories, gradually helped Arlina to feel safe. She started sitting in circles with other children. She picked up a paintbrush. Then, one day, she started laughing during the games.

“For me as a mother, it was very emotional. I saw her smiling in a way I hadn’t seen for a long time. She wasn’t thinking about the past or our problems; she started being a child,” Rina said.

It took a while, but Arlina eventually opened up and found confidence at camp.

Arian, one of the camp leaders and the family coordinator supporting Arlina’s family through the family sponsorship program, witnessed the change firsthand.

“Camp is not just about fun,” Arian said. “Arlina came to camp very reserved and attached to her mother. But by the end of the week, she started running and making friends. Summer camp gave her something she had been missing – a safe place where she could simply be a child, free from fear. This is exactly why we do these camps.

“Of course, Arlina did not have an intense change, but it was a meaningful start. She and her mother are enrolled this year on our family sponsorship program, and they’ve started to join in with our community’s activities.”

By the final day, the difference was visible. Arlina was no longer holding only her mother’s hand. She was holding hands with her new friends too.

“When we went home, she told me, ‘Mum, I want to come back next summer.’ That gives me hope that she’s beginning to heal,” Rina said with a smile.

“After all the pain we have been through, seeing my daughter look forward to something so joyful is a blessing. I also had a great week that I could never have dreamed of before,” she added.

Rina continues to fight for a better future. Despite 95% vision loss and surviving on a disability pension of just $225 CAD per month, she has returned to school to study elderly care, determined to provide stability for her daughter.

“In Albania, women are often treated like slaves,” Rina said. “We’re seen as less than men. I’ve suffered so much that I even lost a child during pregnancy because of the stress.”

Yet her resolve remains unbroken. “I feel stronger now,” she said. “I don’t know what the future holds, but I’m determined to give my daughter the best life I can.”

For Arlina, summer camp was more than a holiday. It was a turning point, the first step out of isolation and into friendship, confidence, and hope.

For a little girl who has known too much fear, it was her first glimpse of the childhood she deserves.

You can help more children experience the joy of summer camp with a gift today.

*Names have been changed for privacy.