At the crack of dawn, girls like Naomi fetch water from communal wells, tend to crops in the fields, and prepare for their trek to school. But growing up as a girl in rural Kenya requires resilience.
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“We wanted Lilian to join Neema because we were not able to get her through education,” says Francis, Lilian’s father. “[My wife] Leah became very sick [last year], and [Lilian’s sister was already] ahead of her in school, so the financial strain made us decide to send Lilian to Neema instead of traditional school.”
After completing eighth grade of traditional school, Lilian had no choice but to drop out—with a total of six children and her mother unable to work, it was not feasible for the family to pay for school supplies to keep each child in school.
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The highlight of the day was when the graduates stood to share. It was very emotional and touching to see each of them acknowledge that they were not the same as they were before they joined Neema, but they were different and grateful for where they were from and where they have reached.
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When she joined Neema in 2021, Sarah was shy and didn’t interact much with the other students. But through counseling and the encouragement from the staff and other students, she’s grown in social skills and has become jovial and active in class. More importantly, she developed an unconditional love for her son. Sarah says that she can now see a future, and her lost hope is restored.
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At the age of sixteen, Susan had to drop out of school because living in extreme material poverty left her parents unable to pay for the necessary school supplies and uniform. Her father is polygamous and lives with his first wife and children.
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“Through the discipleship and counseling sessions at Neema, I've been able to overcome guilt and self-blame and realized that there is no such great sin that God cannot forgive me of if I honestly repent of my sins and ask for forgiveness. I'm jolly that I've been able to restore my relationship with God, and that above all, he has given me joy in serving him through singing and praying."
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While each individual Neema student has her own story surrounding her life prior to Neema—who she was raised by, how she survived, etc.—they all collectively carry the burden of extreme material poverty. And even though coming to Neema, with adequate food, lodging, clothing, healthcare, etc., has relieved some of that burden personally, they still carry that burden for their families.
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Her dad agrees it’s true that she isolated herself and felt like life had come to an end — she didn’t see any reason for it. But by coming to Neema, Brenda was taught that her inability to continue on to high school doesn’t mean it’s the end of life. She accepted that and is now moving on and has hope in life. And in terms of the tailoring skills she’s learning, Brenda has been bringing good samples of her work home and can even give them to the neighbors.
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