When first year student Sarah joined Neema in 2021 with her baby Emmanuel, she was shy, didn’t interact much with the other students, and wouldn’t contribute in the group counseling sessions. Sarah’s parents are separated, and after her mother rejected her, was left with her aunt and uncle as her guardians. In sixth grade, Sarah became pregnant and had to drop out of school. 

But through the individual counseling she received at Neema, and the encouragement from the staff and other students, she’s grown in social skills and has become jovial and active in class. She told our counselor that she can now see a future, and her lost hope is restored.

Peter, Sarah’s uncle and guardian, said, "I'm so grateful for Neema for taking good care of Sarah and the baby, and I remember the first meeting that we had, [and] Neema’s Program Director, Winnie, taught about the Father Heart of God [a session where Neema staff help the students and their parents discover and experience the unconditional love of God as their father and his designed purpose for their life despite their experiences]. Winnie had said, ‘Sarah should remove every stone in her heart, every stone of rejection towards her baby.’" When Sarah asked her aunt for forgiveness, her aunt said, "I have forgiven you for all that you did, and I will continue to love you."

Peter says he has seen great changes in Sarah since she joined Neema. “She’s been instilled with discipline, she reasons, and is proud to be at Neema. When her friends ask her about it, she’s glad to share about the education she’s getting.” He says he knows that Neema is “way up there,” and all the young women in the community want to join.

Winnie, Neema’s Program Director, says, “Sarah’s guardians are some of the most supportive.” They are engaged in her life and work with our staff team to see a beautiful transformation in Sarah’s life, helping mitigate setbacks along the way since transformation is not a linear process. It’s very important for the guardians to be involved all along, because through their engagement, Neema also has the ability to positively impact the whole community. Whenever possible, Neema offers guardians counseling so that students can go back to a welcoming home during breaks and/or after they graduate. We also organize Guardians Day to encourage guardians to interact with each other.

When she graduates, Sarah says she’s hoping to do her best to support her guardians. She’d also love to have a workshop of her own so that she can be able to employ other vulnerable young women who have come out of similar situations as her. Very recently Sarah shared, “God has blessed me with Neema where I am loved and listened to."