Shira

Shirah is a resilient young woman from Mbarara, Uganda. She grew up in an extended family of thirteen children, five of whom were cousins who joined their family after the passing of her uncle. In the face of poverty and hardship, the situation grew worse upon the death of her father, leaving her mother to support the entire family from the resources of their small farm. Shirah often had take time off due to a lack of fees, but her mother sacrificially sold a parcel of their land to help Shirah complete secondary school.

Raised in the church, Shirah shares that she was awakened in her faith in high school. After experiencing a warm welcome and lots of fun at Young Life club, Shirah jumped at the opportunity to go to camp. The speaker's testimony closely resembled the challenges Shirah had faced in her own life. She realized that her life had no future without Jesus and decided to follow Him. Shirah has served as a volunteer leader while faithfully walking with teens. According to her team leader, “Shirah is an organized, reliable, and creative team player whose life skills help her blend well with people from all different backgrounds.”

Now a Developing Global Leader, Shirah is studying procurement and logistics at Kyambongo University. She is determined to learn the skills to be competitive in the job market following graduation. Shirah is “driven by the desire to encourage the hopeless people in her community to remain hopeful, trusting that God is faithful in all things.” Shirah will be the first in her family to graduate from university.