Emmanuel

Emmanuel grew up in Gweru, Zimbabwe, in a family of four, but his parents separated shortly after his brother was born. This resulted in the siblings being sent to the rural areas to live with their grandmother. Life in the village was full of harsh conditions, including often having to walk to school over two kilometers with no shoes. Emmanuel had hoped that life would be better when he and his brother moved to live with their dad and new stepmother, only for the experience to become worse.

Life in an abusive household left Emmanuel disheartened, and eventually his aunt decided to rescue them and take them in. During his time in his aunt’s care, he started going to church regularly. At church, Emmanuel met someone who saw potential in him and decided to get to know him; he was the first person to take Emmanuel to a Young Life camp. “When I first went to camp, I thought it was too good to be true. It was weird to receive this kind of love. This love helped me understand the love of God, and I gave my life to Christ and realigned my desires according to what God wants.”

Now a Developing Global Leader, Emmanuel is excited to be the first in his family to attend university. He is attending Gweru Polytechnic and studying automotive engineering. Emmanuel's shared his hope, “This opportunity will help me get my family out of poverty and also open doors for other kids in my area to know that it is possible to strive for your goals and graduate from university.” Emmanuel desires to start new clubs locally, develop himself and create innovative ways to reach out to kids with the Good News.