Mariya

My name is Mariya and I live in Aleles, one of the villages in Katakwi, Uganda. When I was three years old, my mother was killed during an insurgency in my village by the Karamojog cattle raiders. I thank God for my father and my brother who could always run together with me to the bush to hide whenever the raiders would come to raid cattle and kill people. However, when I was eight years old, my father also passed away and I was orphaned. With the help of friends and guardians, I was eventually able to complete my primary and secondary schooling; my desperate pursuit of an education was extremely unpredictable and challenging.

At age nineteen, a friend introduced me to Young Life. She took me to camp where I had an encounter with Jesus Christ. Over time, with her support and encouragement, I built hope and trust in the Lord. I joined a singing ministry which was an experience that truly was a gift from God to me. Now I run my own club, loving on teenagers and winning souls for Jesus. Living the life of an orphan made me feel rejected and useless, however since I received Jesus Christ as my personal savior, I have accepted my story and I have found fulfillment through it. I can now say I have seen God do great things in my life and I have no regrets!

Now a Developing Global Leader, I am committed to excellence and devotion to my studies as I pursue a degree in environmental health science at Mbale School of Hygiene. I hope to become an environmental health inspector who will aim at interacting, educating, and sensitizing communities on issues of environmental preservation and healthy living. I will be the first person in my family to graduate from university!