Sophie

My name is Sophie (it has been changed for security reasons) and I currently live in a village in Mali. I am one of ten children and the first daughter. My father is a pastor, and I spent a portion of my early childhood living with my uncle to attend primary school while my parents ministered elsewhere. Everything was going well for me until my mother’s sudden death. Only seven years old and being my mother's eldest daughter, I took on the responsibilities of my mother at home, a role that caused great despair in my life. I cried every night before going to sleep until my dad remarried and a little joy settled in my heart at having a new mom.

During adolescence my dad shared personally about Jesus, and I decided to follow Him as my Savior. I found Him as a good friend, and He filled my life with love and happiness that I had never felt before. I started to love others and have hope. I evangelized the children who did not know Jesus in my village by sharing his love and his hope with them. A friend invited me to Young Life training, and I started leading ministry in my community.

I have persevered against many odds to pursue my education, overcoming limited resources, housing challenges and transportation problems. Now with the Developing Global Leaders scholarship, I can finally realize my childhood dream to be the first person in my family to graduate from university. I am studying at a local university to be a midwife, hoping to provide necessary resources and expertise to help women safely deliver their babies.