eXile international exists to instill hope, healing, and love to Africa’s war-affected children and former child soldiers through art and expressive trauma therapy. By teaming with existing African organizations and local leaders on the ground, our hope is to bring our art therapy and counseling program, The HOPE Initiative, into the wounded communities of Congo and East Africa. Given enough time and God's power, our hope is to see Africa's next generation as soldiers for peace rather than soldiers of war.



THE STORY:The Birth Of An Idea

Instilling Hope, Healing and Love

Utilizing her experiences as both a social worker and psychologist, Bethany Haley and Peggy Cox co-founded this unique organization to serve the hurting and displaced people of Africa who are not only living in true EXILE, but also in emotional EXILE. By teaming with existing African organizations and local leaders on the ground, our hope is to bring our art therapy and counseling program, The HOPE Initiative, into the wounded communities of Congo and East Africa. Given enough time and with God's strength and guidance, we hope to see Africa's children learn to be soldiers of Peace rather than soldiers of War.

On a group trip to Congo in June 2008 with ALARM, eXile international co-founder and psychologist, Bethany Haley, encountered a new level of hopelessness: Child soldiers asked her to be their mother. Women tried to give her their children. She listened to stories of women being repeatedly raped. She met children so traumatized they showed no emotion. After visiting many displacement camps in one day, she realized the people were not only living in true EXILE but in emotional EXILE as well. "This is so much bigger than we are..." she thought. On the plane ride home, Beth was seated next to an autistic boy from Kenya. While she rested, he stared out the window at the heavens and began to repeat in a catatonic chant: "It is so much bigger than we are. It is so much bigger than we are." Beth realized this was more than coincidence. She understood that it was so much bigger than she was but not bigger than all of us together--- and not bigger than a great God. At that moment, the seeds for eXile international were sown. After the return home, Peggy Cox helped make the dream a reality from following a seed God had placed in her own heart to begin a non-profit. eXile international has now developed into a team of counselors, visionaries, and professionals. None of which take salaries. All of which work from a heart cry for a higher purpose. We invite you to join us! It is only through your financial support that we can provide art and expressive trauma care to these children and trauma care training to those we partner with. On every trip, we take art supplies with us and we also provide shoes for the children to assist in meeting their physical needs.