“I come from a family where we are familiar with hunger. My father is the village elder and my mum owns a grocery shop but at times we would sleep hungry. There is nothing I haven’t seen,” Joyce says as she thinks back to her life before Neema. Fast forward three years and this 18-year-old is now preparing to graduate! We just adore this girl and her smiles.

She’s firstborn in a family of five children raised in extreme poverty. Her mother sells vegetables and her father is a local vigilante (village law enforcement member), but this wasn’t enough to even keep Joyce in school past grade 8. 

“I made a promise when I was being considered for Neema,” Joyce says, “that I would work extremely hard so that later in life I would help my parents with their finances. I am glad that God has been merciful since I joined Neema. It has been good for me, listening to what my instructors are saying and obeying school rules.” 

One of the most encouraging things to hear from the young women at Neema is when they express a desire to give back. Most of these girls have come from truly difficult upbringings, primarily due to poverty, but after this short time of gaining a skill and processing their pain through counseling, many of them are ready to offer their help to those who are still in need. Like a lot of the other Neema girls, Joyce has made it a priority to improve the lives of her family through a career tailoring and dressmaking.

Three years ago, Joyce was discouraged and lacking confidence. But now, she’s filled with hopes and dreams, feeling prepared for what is next in her life! “I am looking forward to graduating and I strongly believe that God will open doors. I now am more than ready to face the world. Some of my goals are to be self-employed like owning my workshop, have a family of my own, and be married to a person who knows God.” Joyce is well on her way to accomplishing these goals because as of September 2019, along with three other Neema graduates, she already secured a job!