Gianna

My name is Gianna (it's been changed for security reasons). I am Malian, and I live in a large city with my older sister, her husband and their two boys. I was born in Ivory Coast, and when I was eight, we moved to Mali to have the opportunity to continue our studies. I am the youngest in my family of seven children. I excelled in school but upon arriving at high school, I was a victim of harassment by some of my teachers which slowed me down; I didn’t know what to do and I didn't talk about it at all, this effected me greatly.

I was born into a practicing evangelical Christian family, and I have always gone to church. I gave my life to the Lord when I was fourteen, but it was only out of religiosity. Later when I was going through a time of depression, I had a personal experience with Jesus and committed my life to Him, knowing for the first time that I was loved by God. I encountered Young Life through a friend who heard me talking about a project I wanted to establish for young girls. She told me about Young Lives, the ministry to teen moms, and I was overjoyed to get involved to tell teen moms that they are seen by God and are precious in His sight!

Now a Developing Global Leader, I am studying communications at a local university and have always dreamed of being a journalist. In the future, I would like to have programs devoted to young girls in my community, and to continue to serve the Lord with joy.