Leilla

Leilla is a hard-working young woman from Cibitoke, a town in a small province in Burundi. She is one of four siblings in her family and was raised by her father. Leilla’s household was strict and she struggled with some of the harsh discipline she received at home. She fondly recalls her many friends and how important those friendships were to her.

Leilla did not enjoy going to church or praying, often resistant to the teaching she heard. However, a friend persisted in inviting her to church and one day, after hearing the Gospel preached, she was touched and her heart softened to the love of God. Following that experience, Leilla began attending Young Life where she was taught about God and mentored in her faith. When asked about her church, she shares, “my church started after the civil crisis in 1993. They try to reconcile people by teaching about the forgiveness of God, overcoming the difficulty of unifying people from different tribes.” Leilla is passionate about continuing to share the love of God with the teens in her community as a Young Life leader.

Now a recipient of the Developing Global Leaders scholarship, Leilla is studying marketing and management at Great Lakes University. Leilla wants to “help women overcome the ways they underestimate themselves and their abilities, especially in the work place. Many companies hesitate to hire women because they lack self-confidence." Additionally, Leilla wants to not only provide resources for the destitute women in her community, but help women learn how to manage the few resources that they have.