Alex

Alex is a hard-working and disciplined young man from Iringa, a city in central Tanzania. He lived with his parents until their deaths and then was raised by nearby relatives. Having lost his parents during a critical time in his life, he struggled to complete school due to truancy, delaying his completion of secondary school. Throughout his childhood, Alex admits he was a bully and a thief, caught up in the survival tactics of the streets to meet basic needs.

Alex and his siblings were brought up in the church, however it was through hearing the good news of Jesus at Young Life camp that Alex began his relationship with God. The love of his leader was a catalyst for great change in his life. His extended family and Young Life friends were crucial in helping him overcome the challenge of losing his parents. Alex has spent the last six years encouraging and standing in the gap for countless teens in his community.

Now a recipient of the Developing Global Leaders scholarship, Alex is studying to be a history and Swahili teacher at the Catholic University College of Mbeya. He shares that his vision and hope for his education “is to be among the most competent teachers in my community. My career goal is to make learners feel happy and at peace, and to develop a friendship among them that positively impacts their learning process.” Alex hopes to be an example by presenting knowledge, experience and skills to his community and will be the first in his family to graduate from university.