Mercy

Born and raised in a slum called Mathare, Mercy’s greatest fear was what her future would look like. Mathare is the second largest informal settlement in Kenya. The slum is categorized with all sorts of vices from selling illicit brew to the breeding of very dangerous gangs. “Education is not important in my community,” Mercy says. Most of the girls her age had dropped out of school and were now married with kids. She desired a different life for herself and her family. A tragedy befell Mercy's family when their house burnt to ashes in 2019. To be able to help her mom with the burden of rebuilding their life, Mercy started taking up casual jobs. “I knew my school fees would not be a priority now that we had lost everything, I had to work to keep myself in school,” she says.

Mercy did not want to become another failed story. She was hesitant to join their local Young Life club, but her leader kept encouraging her. Upon going, she was excited to meet other youth in her community who shared the same goals and vision as herself. “I knew there was hope for my community when I joined Young Life and I wanted to be part of the team that would be used by God to spread that hope,” she says.

Mercy is currently pursuing a degree in fashion and design at Zetech University. She shares, “Now as a Developing Global Leader, my dream is to use my gift of creativity and design to start up projects in my community that will empower teenagers and adults who did not get an opportunity to study. I hope that with the acquired skills they can generate income and alleviate poverty. I want to be part of the change that my community needs.”