Our Top 10 Photos from 2022
1. Building a Happy Home
Irene, Class of 2023, is twenty-three years old and has a four-year-old daughter, Daisy. In addition to tailoring class, counseling sessions, and worship time, our students regularly have cooking classes. In 2022, we provided twenty-seven cooking classes for our students. (For more info, see our 2022 Impact Report.) These classes enable them to know how to effectively prepare nutritious food for themselves and their families on a limited budget upon graduation.
2. Strong
Patricia is twenty three-years old and will graduate this year with her two-year-old girl, Tracy. When they join Neema, many young women struggle with feelings of insecurity and shame. But through counseling and the community, they come to accept the hardships of their past and believe that they are beautiful and valuable. Learning a skill such as tailoring also empowers them, and turning to prayer and Scripture in times of weakness helps them to feel renewed.
3. Learning to Show Love
Patricia’s daughter Tracy was one year old when this image was made, sitting peacefully at bath time while her mother did her hair.
4. Home Visits
Twenty year old Sarah (Class of 2024) sits with her father at their home. Neema regularly reaches out to our students’ parents and guardians offering counseling and support. This relationship has been transformative to many marriages as their parenting skills and our students’ siblings upbringing both benefit.
5. Motherhood
Through counseling, the young women learn how to love their children and not be ashamed of them anymore. One graduate said, “Before I came to Neema, I was afraid of what people would think about me for having a child at an early age. But after joining Neema and going through counseling sessions, I was able to accept motherhood. And since then, I am not ashamed of [my son], but rather, I am proud to be a mother.” She and her peers with children see that motherhood is a gift and discover that their children bring them joy.
6. A Day in the Kitchen
Jentrix Mukoya, one of Neema’s Matrons, cooks over an open fire in Neema’s current kitchen—one small room in a mud house. On an average day, over one hundred and ten meals are prepared for students, staff, and on occasion, guardians and community members. But with our new campus, the kitchen will be drastically improved with running water, efficient stoves, and improved ventilation.
7. Children Equipped
Three-year-old Zasha left Neema with her mother Faith in 2022 when Faith graduated from Neema. The students and children in our care have occasional medical needs, which Neema’s Grace Partners pay for. Health concerns facing young women in rural Kenya range from common sicknesses to more serious concerns such as malaria, HIV, arthritis, and more. While in our care, these young women and their children have free access to doctor visits and transportation to medical facilities for common illnesses. When visits to specialists are needed, students’ guardians are asked to contribute.
8. When the Rain Comes
Eighteen-year-old Dorcas (Class of 2024) enjoys her new raincoat that allows her to continue studying and living at Neema during the rainy season. While the heavy rain season is necessary for local farmers to harvest, it can make life difficult for others in rural Kenya, especially if electricity goes out or the roads flood.
9. Jentrix: An Alumni Story
Jentrix graduated from Neema in 2021 and is photographed here at her current shop. Providing these young women with skills such as tailoring and dressmaking allows them to become self-sufficient and provide for their families. However, when young women don’t have the funds to continue their education in secondary school because of poverty, they’re forced to drop out, have no opportunities in life, and become vulnerable. By providing young women with an alternative way to be educated, Neema fills a gap in the society. We continue to follow up with our alumni to make sure they have the support needed to continue to thrive once they are not living within the safety of our community—with other students and staff.
10. Sports at Neema
Providing the young women other opportunities in life is important, but we seek to encourage a holistic approach where counseling, discipleship, English, livelihood, and cooking classes are taught in addition to tailoring. We also recognize that health and fitness are a crucial aspect to maintaining their emotional health and wellbeing. So while we occasionally have organized sports or runs, our staff regularly encourage students to play games and sports together on their own time.
